A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Things to Be Aware

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15).

There are three Greek words translated "beware," all of which stress watchfulness and potential danger. In a world under the control of Satan, there are many of his devices which can deceive and undermine the faith and life of the unwary Christian.

Our text cautions against false prophets who appear to be true prophets (or teachers, or pastors), but whose apparently spiritual teachings are subversive of Biblical truth. John warns that "many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1), and Jesus said they "shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:11). Jesus also warned that His followers should "beware of . . . the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (Matthew 16:12). These sects have their respective modern counterparts in the hypocrisy of legalists and the skepticism of liberals, both of which are destructive of true Biblical faith and life.

Very relevant to today's humanistic intellectualism is the warning of Colossians 2:8: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." This is the Bible's only reference to philosophy, here equated evidently with "vain deceit."

Finally, the apostle Peter says: "Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness" (II Peter 3:17). In context, Peter is referring to those Christian brethren who have distorted the Scriptures in order to seek an accommodation with the naturalistic worldview of establishment intellectuals (II Peter 3:3-6,16). Thus, Peter, John, and Christ Himself would urge constant wariness on our part.

[def]

Things to Be Aware

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15).

There are three Greek words translated "beware," all of which stress watchfulness and potential danger. In a world under the control of Satan, there are many of his devices which can deceive and undermine the faith and life of the unwary Christian.

Our text cautions against false prophets who appear to be true prophets (or teachers, or pastors), but whose apparently spiritual teachings are subversive of Biblical truth. John warns that "many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1), and Jesus said they "shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:11). Jesus also warned that His followers should "beware of . . . the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (Matthew 16:12). These sects have their respective modern counterparts in the hypocrisy of legalists and the skepticism of liberals, both of which are destructive of true Biblical faith and life.

Very relevant to today's humanistic intellectualism is the warning of Colossians 2:8: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." This is the Bible's only reference to philosophy, here equated evidently with "vain deceit."

Finally, the apostle Peter says: "Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness" (II Peter 3:17). In context, Peter is referring to those Christian brethren who have distorted the Scriptures in order to seek an accommodation with the naturalistic worldview of establishment intellectuals (II Peter 3:3-6,16). Thus, Peter, John, and Christ Himself would urge constant wariness on our part.

thank you Pastor Rogers ,God was merciful to me,to guide me in the KJ and NKJ bible  O God I was bless to be bathed in it.thank you God my Father for your mercy I could have been directed the wrong way .and i am like a bull dog once i bite i don`t let go. wow Saved by a merciful loving God thought our Lord Jesus Christ..Got to say goodnight to you Pastor Rogers i dont`know where to say my godnight or my hello but it is getting through.please pray for me.as i pray for you.OK.

[Soldier4Christ]

Anywhere you feel like posting your goodnights and good mornings are fine sister. It is my privilege to pray for you. You are on my prayer list daily.

[def]

thank you Pastor Rogers ,God was merciful to me,to guide me in the KJ and NKJ bible  O God I was bless to be bathed in it.thank you God my Father for your mercy I could have been directed the wrong way .and i am like a bull dog once i bite i don`t let go. wow Saved by a merciful loving God thought our Lord Jesus Christ..Got to say goodnight to you Pastor Rogers i dont`know where to say my godnight or my hello but it is getting through.please pray for me.as i pray for you.OK.

thank you-thank you- thank-you.

[def]

Anywhere you feel like posting your goodnights and good mornings are fine sister. It is my privilege to pray for you. You are on my prayer list daily.

Thank you x100000000000

[Soldier4Christ]

The Creation of Plants

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so" (Genesis 1:11).

One of the favorite Biblical arguments used these days by Christian advocates of an old Earth comes from a forced interpretation of this verse. While the verse seems to teach "sudden" creation, old-Earth advocates interpret the verse to imply an indefinite time period, at least long enough for seeds to grow up into mature, seed-bearing plants. They say that the words "seed" and "fruit" apply to any plants with spores or seeds, including bacteria, fungi, and protozoans, the earliest forms of plant life according to evolution. The third day, then, must be understood as long enough to witness the appearance of all "kinds" of plants and is equated with a vast stretch of geologic time. However, there are many Biblical problems with this view -- a few follow.

Scripture teaches that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Exodus 20:11; see also Genesis 2:1-4; etc.), and no meaning other than a solar day is Biblically defensible. The "herbs" and "trees" mentioned can only mean small or woody plants which supposedly arrived late on the evolutionary scale, for the same words are used to identify food plants on Day Six. Furthermore, the verb "bring forth" (Genesis 1:11) is also used when God made animals, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature" (v.24), on the sixth day. It cannot be referring to the growth of a seed out of the ground, but rather must imply the sudden creation of both plants and animals in abundance.

Such compromises are impossible Biblically and are quite unnecessary. There are no true facts of science which are incompatible with the young-Earth teaching of Scripture. We can be sure of its teachings.

[def]

The Creation of Plants

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so" (Genesis 1:11).

One of the favorite Biblical arguments used these days by Christian advocates of an old Earth comes from a forced interpretation of this verse. While the verse seems to teach "sudden" creation, old-Earth advocates interpret the verse to imply an indefinite time period, at least long enough for seeds to grow up into mature, seed-bearing plants. They say that the words "seed" and "fruit" apply to any plants with spores or seeds, including bacteria, fungi, and protozoans, the earliest forms of plant life according to evolution. The third day, then, must be understood as long enough to witness the appearance of all "kinds" of plants and is equated with a vast stretch of geologic time. However, there are many Biblical problems with this view -- a few follow.

Scripture teaches that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Exodus 20:11; see also Genesis 2:1-4; etc.), and no meaning other than a solar day is Biblically defensible. The "herbs" and "trees" mentioned can only mean small or woody plants which supposedly arrived late on the evolutionary scale, for the same words are used to identify food plants on Day Six. Furthermore, the verb "bring forth" (Genesis 1:11) is also used when God made animals, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature" (v.24), on the sixth day. It cannot be referring to the growth of a seed out of the ground, but rather must imply the sudden creation of both plants and animals in abundance.

Such compromises are impossible Biblically and are quite unnecessary. There are no true facts of science which are incompatible with the young-Earth teaching of Scripture. We can be sure of its teachings.

Hi Pastor Rogers.Yes i believe that God "brings forth every thing .and he did bring forth Jesus Christ and he did bring forth the Holy  Spirit it is written so .Praise God the Mighty Father the Holy Father my Father in Jesus Christ my Lord. thank you for praying for me.please don't`stop.i must say goodnight again had a big day for me."i was laugh at because of Jesus today by a police lady ,she arrest me for crossing a street"inthe wheel chair with my little dog because i was on the roads with the cars.she said it was dangerous,but i am careful very much careful but she wanted to make a point.but i told her that my time here was not finish cause Jesus was still using me ,she look at me `rolled her eyes and started to laugh mocking me like,she let me go but i had made God`s point.YES.i do be careful please don't worry maybe i have been doing this 9 years..god bless you and His  work in you Pastor Rogers "did I say that right..

[Soldier4Christ]

I'm sorry to hear about that, sister. We know that many will mock us because of Jesus. One day they will no longer be mocking but will be on bended knee before Him. Bless you sister for all you have been through and are still going through. Stay strong in the Lord.

You couldn't have said it better, sister. Goodnight and sleep well.

[Soldier4Christ]

Singing Garments of Life

"The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing" (Psalm 65:13).

This is the concluding verse of the beautiful 65th Psalm, climaxing a remarkable series of testimonies about God's providential care of His creation. In this final figure, the lands are pictured as clothed in beautiful, living garments -- garments which shout and sing in joyful praise to their Maker.

The figure would be better appreciated in Biblical times, or in certain lands (e.g., New Zealand) today where flocks of sheep are so abundant that they literally seem to cover the pasture lands in wool. The flocks first provide a metaphorical garment for the pastures, then literal clothing for men and women. Similarly, the fertile valleys are everywhere arrayed in golden grain, which later provides food for both the animals and human beings.

And "the sounds of the earth are like music," as the song so eloquently expresses it. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see, praise is everywhere being offered up to our great Creator and faithful Sustainer, by the very creation itself.

Jesus also spoke of the beautiful garments of creation: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:28-30).

The verses following our text, therefore, appropriately exhort: "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: . . . All the earth shall worship thee" (Psalm 66:1,4).

[def]

Singing Garments of Life

"The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing" (Psalm 65:13).

This is the concluding verse of the beautiful 65th Psalm, climaxing a remarkable series of testimonies about God's providential care of His creation. In this final figure, the lands are pictured as clothed in beautiful, living garments -- garments which shout and sing in joyful praise to their Maker.

The figure would be better appreciated in Biblical times, or in certain lands (e.g., New Zealand) today where flocks of sheep are so abundant that they literally seem to cover the pasture lands in wool. The flocks first provide a metaphorical garment for the pastures, then literal clothing for men and women. Similarly, the fertile valleys are everywhere arrayed in golden grain, which later provides food for both the animals and human beings.

And "the sounds of the earth are like music," as the song so eloquently expresses it. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see, praise is everywhere being offered up to our great Creator and faithful Sustainer, by the very creation itself.

Jesus also spoke of the beautiful garments of creation: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6:28-30).

The verses following our text, therefore, appropriately exhort: "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: . . . All the earth shall worship thee" (Psalm 66:1,4).

I will meditate the ps:65 tonight now i must go to bed..good night Pastor Rogers,god  bless you  i am very tire,nowbyebye

[Soldier4Christ]

Goodnight, sister.

[Soldier4Christ]

Earnest of the Spirit

"Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit" (II Corinthians 5:5).

This is a fascinating concept and a wonderful reality. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is said to be an "earnest" -- that is, a pledge or deposit -- on an ultimate fulfillment of a magnificent promise from God Himself. The word translated "earnest" (Greek, arrhabon ) is essentially a transliteration of its Hebrew equivalent ( arabown ), translated "pledge" in the Old Testament (see Genesis 38:17-20).

Now if the guiding presence of God, through the Holy Spirit, is merely an earnest payment, the fulfillment must be glorious beyond comprehension. This "selfsame thing," as our text calls it, is a wonderful "house which is from heaven," the spiritual body we shall receive when we go to be with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:1-2).

The phrase also occurs in II Corinthians 1:22: "Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." In context, the earnest payment here is associated with the "sealing" of God and the assurance that "all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen" (v.20).

The third and last use of this word in the New Testament is in Ephesians 1:13-14: "In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession." We are "joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), and He is to inherit all things.

Thus, the Holy Spirit, a present possession of all who have received Christ as Savior, is also God's pledge of a glorious future -- a perfect body, a great inheritance, and the certain fulfillment of all of God's gracious promises.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Empowering Touch of God

"Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth" (Jeremiah 1:9).

It is fascinating to note the various parts of the human body that God is said to have touched, thereby empowering that person to use that member in special service. For example, when God touched Jeremiah's mouth, he was enabled to prophesy divinely inspired words to his people.

Similarly, when Christ met two blind men who believed in His power, "touched He their eyes. . . . And their eyes were opened," thereby energizing them to "spread abroad His fame in all that country" (Matthew 9:29-31). Likewise, He gave a deaf-and-dumb man the ability to hear and speak when He "put His fingers into his ears, and . . . touched his tongue; . . . And straightway his ears were opened, . . . and he spake plain" (Mark 7:33,35), with the result that all those who observed the miracle "published it" widely, saying that "He hath done all things well" (Mark 7:36-37).

Jesus saw Peter's wife's mother "laid, and sick of a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them" (Matthew 8:14-15).

In one instance, the touch of God reduced Jacob's physical power, but increased his spiritual power. "He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, . . . And He said . . . as a prince hast thou power with God and with men. . ." (Genesis 32:25,28). When God sent one of the seraphim to Isaiah with a coal from the altar, He said: "Lo, this hath touched thy lips" (Isaiah 6:7).

The Lord need not physically touch our mouth or eyes or ears or hands today, but He can and does touch our hearts. Then, like that ancient "band of men, whose hearts God had touched," we can go with Him wherever He leads (I Samuel 10:26).

[def]

The Empowering Touch of God

"Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth" (Jeremiah 1:9).

It is fascinating to note the various parts of the human body that God is said to have touched, thereby empowering that person to use that member in special service. For example, when God touched Jeremiah's mouth, he was enabled to prophesy divinely inspired words to his people.

Similarly, when Christ met two blind men who believed in His power, "touched He their eyes. . . . And their eyes were opened," thereby energizing them to "spread abroad His fame in all that country" (Matthew 9:29-31). Likewise, He gave a deaf-and-dumb man the ability to hear and speak when He "put His fingers into his ears, and . . . touched his tongue; . . . And straightway his ears were opened, . . . and he spake plain" (Mark 7:33,35), with the result that all those who observed the miracle "published it" widely, saying that "He hath done all things well" (Mark 7:36-37).

Jesus saw Peter's wife's mother "laid, and sick of a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them" (Matthew 8:14-15).

In one instance, the touch of God reduced Jacob's physical power, but increased his spiritual power. "He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, . . . And He said . . . as a prince hast thou power with God and with men. . ." (Genesis 32:25,28). When God sent one of the seraphim to Isaiah with a coal from the altar, He said: "Lo, this hath touched thy lips" (Isaiah 6:7).

The Lord need not physically touch our mouth or eyes or ears or hands today, but He can and does touch our hearts. Then, like that ancient "band of men, whose hearts God had touched," we can go with Him wherever He leads (I Samuel 10:26).

Pastor Rogers what beautiful scripture i will be going to rest with all those powerful words of love and Truth iam fullof love right now thank you so much ,i must go now i am tired only God knows the fruits of our work today but just reading your letters now i am well rewarded..love in Jesus good night every one .."One for all..All for One" you are never alone..

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Gets Weary?

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding" (Isaiah 40:28).

Everyone gets weary, and everyone must rest. Even in Eden before sin came into the world there was a weekly day of rest, and each day of work in the Garden was followed by a night of rest in sleep. The Lord Jesus Christ, in the days of His sinless human flesh, occasionally became "wearied with His journey" (John 4:6) and had to rest. On one occasion He was so weary that, during a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, He was "asleep on a pillow" (Mark 4:38) while the disciples tried to keep their ship from destruction. He once advised these fretful and busy disciples to "come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). We sometimes need to come apart before we fall apart!

In the New Jerusalem, with our new bodies, we perhaps will not need rest and sleep, for "there shall be no night there" (Revelation 22:5). In our present frail tents of clay, however, we do need rest, for God made us so. In one area of life, on the other hand, we are twice admonished to "be not weary in well doing" (Galatians 6:9; II Thessalonians 3:13).

And when we do get weary, and perhaps are not yet able to stop and rest, we can draw on God's strength, for He "fainteth not, neither is weary." "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4). "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:30-31).