Holy? Or Just “Holier Than Thou”?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Leviticus 11:44

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Some people think that to be holy means to be odd. No, we’re to be different. We have too many Christians doing unbiblical things who claim to be holy when in reality they are just odd.

Holiness is not achieved by what we wear, where we sleep and eat, or how many spiritual things we do. It is not primarily a matter of dress or style of hair. And we don’t become holy if we live in a commune, monastery, or convent. There is no holiness in a hole.

ACTION POINT:

God makes us holy by the blood of His Son. And in return for this great love, we endeavor to live holy lives because we love Him. “Holy” is a state of being, not doing. It is a God-induced, God-developed character trait that grows in us as we grow in our love relationship with God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Who Owns You?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people.” Luke 1:68

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Fanny Crosby wrote, “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.” Do you love to proclaim it? Oh, how I pray you do.

Isaac Watts wrote, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small: Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.” Have you given your soul, your life, your all to this Amazing Love?

ACTION POINT:

Jesus did not bathe this planet with His blood to have you serve the world, the flesh, and the devil. He died to make you holy. You are not your own. First Corinthians 6:20 says, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Knowing His Ways

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Wisdom is not gained by seeing the works of God. It is gained in knowing the ways of God. When the Israelites were wandering in the desert, they could only see the works of God. But God allowed Moses to see His ways.

The Israelites were infatuated with God at first. But when troubles came, their love affair with God quickly died out. They began to murmur and complain. Moses saw the wilderness from God’s perspective, however, and approached God in humility and honor. As a result, God taught him to lead His people out of darkness into light.

ACTION POINT:

Do you know the ways of God? Have you learned to see life from His point of view? Or are you still trusting in your view of life to get you through the hard times? Bow before God and ask Him to ignite a vision for His glory, a bold desire to lead the lost to Him, and an unconditional passion to love Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

“Pain Is Inevitable, But Misery Is Optional”

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:2-3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

James 1:2 is an interesting verse because it has the phrase “when” instead of “if.” You see, some people think that life is going to be all rose petals and sunlight. If I told you that, I would be speaking from a closed Bible and an empty head.

Whether you are saved or lost, life guarantees one thing – difficulty. Someone once wrote, “Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.” There will be trials, oppression, and misunderstandings. And when you become a Christian, you do not become immune to these things.

Trials are a part of life, but how Christians behave in response is what causes an unbelieving world to sit up and take notice. 

How are you responding this week to the difficulties in your life? Thankful for the opportunity to learn patience? Or resentful for every speed bump your vehicle of life has to pass over? You can tell the size of a Christian by what it takes to stop him.

ACTION POINT:

Open yourself up to accountability on this issue. If you are married, ask your spouse to answer these questions. If you are single, ask a trusted friend: “How would you rate the way I have responded to trials in my life this year on a scale of 1-10? ‘One’ means I’ve been thankful for the opportunity to learn patience, and ‘10’ means I’ve been resentful for every speed bump my vehicle of life had to pass over.” Did you learn anything new about yourself, anything you need to work on?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Joy or Sadness—You May Choose

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:9
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
In his book You Can Have Joy! Arnold Prater wrote about an Englishman named John Deckard who had an award-winning passion for roses.

One year, John grew a rose among roses to enter in the annual Garden Show. But before he got the rose, his son rushed in and exclaimed, “Daddy, look what I have for you!” And in his little hand was the prize rose. Visitors to the Garden Show were astonished when they saw John’s entry. For in the flowerpot was a photo of his son with the rose in his hands, along with an honorary blue ribbon.

Sometimes your plans may go awry, and sometimes your dreams may be crushed. But in their place, God sends His own Son, Jesus. And when that happens, nothing else matters but the love of His Son.

ACTION POINT:
What disappointment have you experienced this week? Did you choose joy or sadness? What can you learn from today’s devotional thought to apply to your life the next time a disappointment happens?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Saved by Faith but Rewarded by Works

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:14-15

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I believe salvation is attained by grace through faith. That’s not Baptist rhetoric. That’s Biblical doctrine. But do you know what some people do with that?

They say, “Hot dog! I don’t have to do a thing to be saved. I can just get in the top berth of a Pullman car and glide along until we pull into the New Jerusalem.” You know, just catch the next sleeper car to glory.

These people don’t like the idea that as Christians we are all going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. And we are all going to give an account for how we used our time, our resources, and our faith. We are not saved by works, but we are rewarded by works.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

ACTION POINT:
Read Romans 14:10-12. How do you plan to spend your day knowing this truth?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Our Thirsty Soul

What does your soul need to be satisfied? 

Is it a certain thing, or maybe a person?

Or do you just not know what you are searching for? 

Do you even believe in an eternal soul?
Do you even believe in an Almighty Sovereign God?
Do you even acknowledge your need for a Savior?

Let us explore the implications of this"eternal soul".


Our eternal soul:
Ecc.12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

This verse plainly says we(our earthly bodies) return to dust and our soul returns to  the Creator.

My thirsty soul longs for Christ!
His word is better than life!
I'm not searching anymore!
I have found my soul's constant craving!
I am satisfied!

Ps.63:
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. 

Our days are fleeting! Look at the disasters that happen everyday, tornadoes, earthquakes, plane crashes, car crashes etc. Do I even need to mention the diseases we are exposed to?

Almighty Sovereign God:
Rev.1
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Rev.11:
16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth." 

Savior:
1 Tim.4:
10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 

2 Tim.1:
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

1 John 4:
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Rev.11:
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."


My prayer for You:
Jude 1:
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.