Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, December 30

Too Late!

The beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:22

Recommended Reading
Luke 16:19-31


The same Bible that teaches about heaven warns of hell. In our Lord's story of the rich man and the beggar, the latter served God faithfully on earth, but suffered an incurable skin disease and had to beg for food. The rich man, on the other hand, fared sumptuously every day but evidently had no relationship with the Lord. In a flash their respective earthly lives ended, and their roles were reversed in eternity.

The problem wasn't primarily economic but spiritual. The rich man had previously had access to the Scriptures--"Moses and the prophets" (verse 31)--but had paid no attention. He was too busy buying things.

We only have a few remaining hours in this year to think about heaven and hell, only a day to make a lasting decision for Christ. Listen to Moses, the prophets, the Lord Jesus, and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Give yourself wholeheartedly to Christ today, while you still can and while there's still time.

What does it profit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

The saddest road to hell is the one that runs under the pulpit, past the Bible, and through the middle of warnings and invitations.
J. C. Ryle

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Ephesians 4-5

[Judy Harder]

Another Year Is Dawning

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 

   Recommended Reading

2 Corinthians 5:6-8


"Another year is dawning," prayed the hymnist, "dear Father, let it be, on earth or else in heaven, another year with Thee."


The Lord has brought us through another year, for which we're thankful. But we're not promised another one on earth. If the Lord chooses to take us home at some point in the future, that's not a bad prospect. Paul said he'd rather be "present with the Lord."


Note that he didn't say "in heaven." Yes, he was going to heaven, but his primary focus was seeing Jesus. The golden streets are real, but they simply lead to the throne where Jesus is. The Celestial City is awaiting, but it would be hollow without the presence of Christ. We can't wait to bathe in the Crystal River, but it's only possible because we've first bathed in the fountain filled with blood. And while we're eager to see the loved ones who have preceded us, we want to see our Savior first of all.


Whether on earth or in heaven, may your New Year be blessed!

The dear ones in glory, how they beckon me to come . . . But I long to meet my Savior first of all.
Fanny Crosby


Read-thru-the-Bible
Psalm 119

[Judy Harder]

Top Tens: atTENtion

The days of our years are threescore years and ten . . . so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psalm 90:10, 12 (KJV) 

   Recommended Reading

Psalm 90:1-12

Ever since God issued ten commandments, we've understood there's something special about that number. It serves as the base of our numerical system. Ten is the sum of the first four numbers (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) and the first two-digit number. It brings us full circle. We view ten as complete and perfect, which is why we often say, "On a scale from one to ten. . . ."


Ten years make a decade. And since we only have about seven of those, that should get our atTENtion. Verse 10 of Psalm 90 says that our current earthly lives are zipping by. Our years are "soon cut off and we fly away." But God is from "everlasting to everlasting," our "dwelling place in all generations" (verses 1-2).


Starting the year without Christ is like jumping into a dark, unknown patch of the future. But with our Lord, it's like taking a step with Him who holds the future.


Lord, remind us that You are our eternal life. Turn our atTENtion to the importance of each day—each year—each decade, and to make our lives count for Christ.


O Father, let Thy watchful eye still look on us in love, that we may praise Thee year by year, with angel hosts above.
From the eighteenth-century hymn, "The Year is Gone, Beyond Recall." Francis Pott, lyrics


Read-thru-the-Bible
Genesis 1:1 – 3:24; Genesis 4:1 – 6:22

[Judy Harder]

Monday, January 3

Pop Stars

You will know them by their fruits...by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:16, 20

Recommended Reading
Matthew 7:15-20


How hot was it last summer? According to the newspapers, it was so hot in the southern United States that a farmer in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, reported that his corn popped on the stalk. A Hardin County farmer also claimed that some of the ears among his rows of corn started popping in the intense heat. He sent photos of the burst kernels to specialists who said such a phenomenon is possible, though rare. Talk about signs of life! Can you imagine walking through a cornfield and hearing popping sounds all around you?

When we walk among the rows of Christians at church, are there any signs of life? When you look in the mirror as the day begins, are there any bursts of joy and claps of praise? When things get hot, is there an explosion of trust in God and kindness toward others?

As followers of Christ, there should be "signs" that we are alive in Him. When Jesus said, "By their fruits you will know them," He was telling us that Christianity must be fruitful. Are you bursting with joy today?

The time is short, and we must not only work while it is day; we must bear fruit while it is the season for fruit.
A. J. Gordon

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 7:1-10:32

[Judy Harder]

January 4

Pointing to Jesus

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

Recommended Reading
Galatians 5:22-23


You're sitting in your car, stuck in traffic on a freeway or busy thoroughfare. Looking around, you notice an exceptionally bright billboard standing high above the traffic on the side of the road. You look away for a moment, then look back--and the sign is showing a different advertisement! Increasingly common these days, you've just seen one of the new digital billboards. It's like a computer or television screen in your home, or a jumbotron screen at a sports stadium--changing images instantly using bright, electronic displays.

"Capturing eyeballs"--it's the new standard in advertising, especially on the Internet. Capture a person's attention and your chances of educating them and making a sale increase. Signs are important in more than just advertising. Jesus said there was one primary "sign" by which the world will know that people are His followers: the way we love one another. Sometimes a simple act of love will be a sign to others that there is something different about a person. And a conversation about Christ may follow.

Look for an opportunity today to be a sign that points to Jesus--by demonstrating His love to others.

Love is the queen of all the Christian graces.
A. W. Pink

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 11:1-14:24

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, January 5

Salty Saints

Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
Luke 14:34

Recommended Reading
Colossians 4:6

Salt is essential to life. For thousands of years, long before refrigeration was invented, salt was used as a preservative to keep meat from spoiling--and to provide flavor to foods. So salt gives life, preserves life, and flavors life--one of the most important minerals found on planet earth.

Jesus told His original disciples that they were the "salt of the earth." They (and we) were to have a saving, preserving, and flavoring influence wherever they went and with whomever they interacted. Interestingly, much of the salt used in Israel was from the Dead Sea and was mixed with other noxious minerals that spoiled its purity and flavor. In such a case, the salt was good for nothing; it had to be thrown out and was rendered useless. If our lives become polluted by the things of this world, our ability to save, preserve, and flavor life will be diluted and weakened accordingly. Our mission is not just to be salt, but to be pure salt.

In whose life are you serving as a saving, preserving, and flavoring influence? Don't lose your power by becoming mixed with the false salts of this world.

We are the salt of the earth, not the sugar, and our ministry is truly to cleanse and not just to change the taste.
Vance Havner

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 15:1-18:33

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, January 6

Greater and Lesser Lights

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14

Recommended Reading
John 8:12


Most lights get their power (their "light") from another source. A fire in a fireplace is lighted by a match, an ancient oil lamp was lighted by a flame from another source, and a modern bedside lamp gets its power from an electric current. The Bible says there are two sources of spiritual light in this world--the greater giving light to the lesser.

In one of His "I am" statements, Jesus said He was the "light of the world." Anyone who follows Him, He said, would not "walk in darkness" but would "have the light of life" (John 8:12). So Jesus is the light of the world, but He also told His disciples, "You are the light of the world." In fact, He compared us to a lamp that is given light by another source. So Jesus is the greater light and we who follow Him are the lesser lights. We only have light in us because He lives in us. We only have light to offer the world when we allow His light--the light of His glory and grace--to shine through us and push back the darkness.

Like a lamp that needs to be lit each night, make sure you connect with your spiritual Light-Source every morning. Only by taking His light with you can you enlighten the world. 

It is not necessary to blow out your neighbor's light to let your own shine.
M. R. de Haan

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 19:1-21:34

[Judy Harder]

Friday, January 7

What Do You Do?

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15:8

Recommended Reading
1 Corinthians 15:58

Question: What is (probably) the most-often asked question at parties and the church's fellowships when strangers meet?

Answer: "So, what do you do?"

Asking about a person's vocation or job is definitely a time-tested ice-breaker, good for a couple minutes of chit-chat--double that amount if the question is reciprocated: "And what do you do?"

Actually, every Christian could answer the question with the exact same template: "I serve the Lord Jesus Christ by working as a (name your vocation or job)." As slaves of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1), we really have only one job in life: to serve Him. We go to many different venues for our vocation, but it is ultimately Him we serve. As Christ came into the world to accomplish His Father's will (John 6:38), so we go into the world to accomplish Christ's will (Matthew 28:19-20; John 20:21). We accomplish two things in doing so: We earn our daily bread through our labor and we extend the kingdom of God by manifesting Christ's life and values to others.

So, what do you do? And how can you serve Christ today through your vocation or calling?

He who disregards his calling will never keep the straight path in the duties of his work.
John Calvin

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 22:1-24:67

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, January 8 & 9

Top Tens: consisTENcy

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.
Psalm 119:33

Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:33-40


Reese Kauffman, president of Child Evangelism Fellowship, grew up in a Christian home where certain habits were instilled into his life at a young age. For example, his mother had a bedtime ritual that Reese has never gotten away from: Brush your teeth and read your Bible. Those were the two rules that never varied. Every night he brushed his teeth and read a chapter in his Bible. Even as a young businessman who had gotten away from the Lord, Reese didn't abandon that habit. Brush your teeth and read your Bible. And it was one night while reading Psalm 139 before bed that God spoke to him and got hold of his life. Now years later, Reese still maintains the same holy ritual: Brush your teeth and read your Bible.

Perhaps the most important aspect of Bible study is consistency. It's better to study a little in God's Word every day than to try to absorb lots of the Bible in random study. Find a pattern that works for you, and stick with it. Every day brush your teeth and read your Bible. Be consistent!

A lack of Bible study lead to "truth" decay.
Unknown

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 25:1-29:35

[Judy Harder]

Monday, January 10

The Message and the Method

...having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2:12

Recommended Reading
1 Peter 2:11-12


Churches are always looking for new methods for doing their ministry, and many Christians are eager to find the newest ways of sharing their faith. Good for us! We need to be geared to the times as we proclaim the unchanging message of Christ. It's often been said that the methods may change but the message never does. We want to reach our contemporary culture, and every generation devises its own techniques and systems.

But wait!

Sometimes the methods don't change either. God's primary means of evangelism is for people to see the hope of Christ in our daily lives and to ask us about it. We're to be ready to give an answer when that happens (1 Peter 3:15). God's method is to let our light so shine before men that they might see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Peter said, "Live such good lives among the pagans that...they may see your good deeds and glorify God (1 Peter 2:12, NIV).

God's message is Christ. His method is you.

Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.
E. M. Bounds in Power through Prayer

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 30:1-31:55