Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Friday, February 24

Today Is the Day

  For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
  2 Corinthians 6:2

  Recommended Reading
Luke 13:22-25 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2013:22-25&version=NKJV )

The word "procrastinate" comes from a Latin compound word:  pro  meaning "forward," and  crastinus  indicating "of tomorrow"--from  cras , meaning "tomorrow." So, "procrastinate" means to move or put something from today until tomorrow (or the day after tomorrow,  ad infinitum ).

Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

Most things in life that need to be done--pay the bills, paint the house, change the oil in the car--will allow for a few "tomorrows" before they absolutely have to be done. Why? Because if you die before you get the house painted, it will be an inconvenience for someone else, but not the end of the world. But there are other things in life that don't allow for such putting off since they have eternal ramifications. Most importantly is one's own decision regarding Christ. Hebrews 9:27 says we die and then comes the judgment--there are no tomorrows, do-overs, mulligans, or second chances when it comes to salvation.

You can survive if you procrastinate about some things. But putting off a decision about Christ is not one of them.

  Pride is the devil's dragnet, in which he takes more fish than in any other, except procrastination.
  C. H. Spurgeon

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 3:1–4:49 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%203:1–4:49&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, February 25 & 26

Things Change: Making Change

  Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God.
  Psalm 55:19b

  Recommended Reading
Psalm 55:16-19 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2055:16-19&version=NKJV )

Remember this number: 318. That's the number of change, and people who fear God are changing every day.

Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

Second Corinthians 3:18 says: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory..."

Second Peter 3:18 says: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..."

You can change. None of us is the same person we were a year ago or a decade ago. Our bodies are changing--there's no denying that. But our minds, hearts, habits, personalities, and relationships are changing too. We just need to make sure we are changing for the better, that we're being transformed from glory to glory, that we're growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Those who refuse to change are not God-fearers, because those who love Him are changing every day. Don't be afraid to make some changes in your life, and don't be afraid to let Christ change you from within.

  I'll go anywhere as long as it's forward.
  David Livingstone

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 5:1-11:32 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%205:1-11:32&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, February 27

Jesus Never Fails

  Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore?
  Psalm 77:8

  Recommended Reading
Psalm 77:8-14 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2077:8-14&version=NKJV )

Sir Winston Churchill, the legendary politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War, once said, "Continuous effort--not strength or intelligence--is the key to unlocking our potential." We can't rest on our victories; neither can we wallow in our defeats. Everyone occasionally fails, and sometimes our failures can demoralize us. But even in failure there are benefits to be gained and progress to be made. Some lessons can only be learned in failure, and a day is never lost if a lesson is learned.

  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )
God can do more with our failures than the world can do with our successes. Failure is often the back door to success if we persevere. Basketball great Michael Jordan understood this. He once said, "Failure always made me try harder next time."

As we encounter our ups and downs, it's helpful to remember that God never fails and that His mercy never ceases. His compassions fail not; they are new every morning. If you're brooding over a failure today, place it in Christ's hands. He can turn it for good.

  Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
  Winston Churchill

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 12:1-14:29 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2012:1-14:29&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, February 28

Seeing the Unseen

  While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
  2 Corinthians 4:18

  Recommended Reading
Romans 8:18 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:18&version=NKJV )

The cofounder of Apple Computer, the late Steve Jobs, was actually fired from his position as CEO of the company before he came back to lead its renaissance. In a commencement address at Stanford University in 2005, Jobs said, "I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have happened to me... It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."

Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, testify that failure has been a back door to success. But the Bible explains why--and what God is doing in the midst of failure for those who trust in Him. When we experience failure--or any kind of affliction--we focus on what is seen; we focus on the moment. But God is at work in us doing the unseen--shaping our character into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). Only the Christian can be confident that God is going to use failure for a deep purpose in his life.

If you regret a failure in your life, thank God for the unseen work He is doing in you today.

  The Christian message is for those who have done their best--and failed!
  Unknown

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 15:1–18:22 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2015:1 )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, February 29

For or Of?

  For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
  2 Corinthians 11:2

  Recommended Reading
Exodus 34:14 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2034:14&version=NKJV )

In William Shakespeare's  Othello , the ensign Iago attempts to make his commander, Othello, jealous: "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-ey'd monster..." In Shakespeare's day, colors were often assigned to emotions; and green was the color of jealousy or envy--thus, "green with envy."

  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

We think of jealousy as an unrighteous attitude, yet the Bible says that God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). Why is it okay for God to be jealous but not okay for us to be jealous? A general distinction is found in the words "jealous  for " versus "jealous  of ." God was jealous  for  Israel--His jealousy was for another's protection. And Paul said he was jealous  for  the Corinthian believers for the same reason. The carnal side of jealousy arises when we fear losing something we think is ours--a loved one, a job, an advantage. Our jealousy is for our self-interest--we are jealous  of  the person who is taking what is ours.

If you experience jealousy, ask whether it is jealousy  for  or  of . If it is the latter, it's the kind of jealousy that must be let go.

  God is jealous for the good of His redeemed people--but He can never be jealous of anything or anyone.
  John Blanchard

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 19:1–22:30 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2019:1 )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, March 1

Here Comes the Groom!

  ...as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
  Isaiah 62:5b

  Recommended Reading
2 Peter 3:3-10 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203:3-10&version=NKJV )

Is Bible prophecy important? Does the Word of God require that Christ return for His church? From Genesis to Malachi, more than 300 prophecies point to Jesus Christ as the coming Deliverer. In the New Testament, Christ's second coming is mentioned 318 times. Indeed, God's Word unequivocally declares the glorious end to the prophetic timeline of Scripture: the marriage of the Lamb with His Church.

Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

To assure believers of Christ's return, Paul utilized the beautiful metaphor of marriage (2 Corinthians 11:2). Jewish weddings consisted of three parts: the contract, the betrothal, and the wedding. The symbolism is powerful. The contract for our union with Christ was written with His blood before we believed. Our betrothal to Christ was the moment of salvation when we received the Holy Spirit and the gifts that belong to all believers. Now we eagerly await the wedding celebration when Christ comes to take His Church--His Bride--home.

Is the imminent return of Christ changing the way you live? Are you clothing yourself with holiness and pure grace? Awake! For your Bridegroom cometh!

  Look long enough in to the eyes of our Savior and, there...you will see a bride. Dressed in fine linen. Clothed in pure grace....His bride. Walking toward him, she is not yet with him. But he sees her, he awaits her, he longs for her.
  Max Lucado

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 23:1-26:19 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2023:1-26:19&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, March 2

Prophetic Mileposts

  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
  Luke 21:31

  Recommended Reading
Matthew 13:15-16 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:15-16&version=NKJV )

As early as Roman times,  stone  columns were set by the side of roads to indicate the number of  miles  from or to a particular destination. Thus, the term  milestone  was born and is still used today. Called mileposts in America, they occur at regular intervals along the interstate highway system indicating miles traveled from a state line. In 1920, a Zero Milestone was erected just south of the White House in Washington, D.C., from which distances from the nation's capital were to be measured.

  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

Just as a highway milestone, or milepost, serves to keep one oriented on a geographical journey, so God has established prophetic markers for mankind's journey through time. We could say that the Zero Prophetic Milestone is Genesis 3:15 where the prophetic promise of Satan's defeat is found. The destination is the Eternal City, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22). In between, prophetic markers are found in Scripture for those with eyes to see--especially related to the past, present, and future of God's chosen people, Israel.

The greater your knowledge of God's prophetic markers, the greater your security in an insecure world.

  In God, history and prophecy are one and the same.
  A. W. Tozer

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 27:1-28:68 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2027:1-28:68&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, March 3 & 4

March Madness: Marching Into the Sea (Faith)

  So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
  Exodus 14:22

  Recommended Reading
2 Corinthians 5:7 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205:7&version=NKJV )

Hebrews 11:1 in the  New Living Translation  (second edition) says that faith "gives us assurance about things we cannot see." And God allows us to find ourselves in places where we cannot see. Faith says, in those places, "Trust God's promises."

  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

Moses and the Israelites found themselves in such a place when they marched out of Egypt. They were on the banks of the Red Sea and the Egyptian army was closing fast. They couldn't see a way out; only faith would see them through. It seemed like madness to march through the water--who had ever seen such a thing before? Nobody! But that was God's instruction to Moses. Not only did they have to believe the waters would part but that the waters wouldn't crash back upon them as they walked across the floor of the sea. So they marched into the place where the Red Sea had been and they were saved.

The purpose of places in which we lose our vision is to strengthen our faith. If that's where you are today, let God's promises give you assurance about the things you cannot see.

  The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.
  George Müller

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Deuteronomy 29:1-34:12 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2029:1-34:12&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, March 5

The Map of God's Word

  How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
  Psalm 119:9

  Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:9-11 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119:9-11&version=NKJV )

A recent book about backpacking in Canada warns that some maps are hastily printed without taking time to insure the accuracy of the topographical data. One map was printed so quickly that one of its panels was produced upside down and backwards. Such mistakes can be tragic. Over the past three decades, scores of people have perished because of faulty maps.

  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

When it comes to traveling the road of life and the pathway into the future, we need to be able to trust our map. In  The Message , Eugene Peterson paraphrases Psalm 119:9 like this: "How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of Your Word."

The Bible maps out the future of planet earth, warning us of a coming Rapture, Tribulation, judgment day, and eternal state. The same Map also shows us what paths to follow in our daily conduct and service. When you open your Bible, you don't have to worry about errors or omissions. Every word is trustworthy. Every chapter will lead you safely home.

  We are earthly pilgrims on our way home to heaven. But since we have never been there, we must trust our sense of direction to the map of Scripture.
  Hans Finzel

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Joshua 1:1-4:24 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%201:1-4:24&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, March 6

Lightning Strike

  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
  Matthew 24:27

  Recommended Reading
Matthew 24:23-27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2024:23-27&version=NKJV )

More than a hundred lightning bolts strike the earth every second of every day. That's more than 10 million lightning strikes daily. According to a book published in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute, lightning is a river of electricity rushing through an ocean of air, traveling at the speed of 60,000 miles per second. A lightning bolt can be ten miles long, and brighter than 10 million 100-watt light bulbs. A single flash can generate as much voltage as all the electrical generating plants in the United States in that split second.1

  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

Jesus said that we don't have to be worried about the exact time of His coming, and we shouldn't be deceived by those making false predictions. When He comes, there will be no doubt. As lightning flashing from the east to the west, splitting the sky in a millisecond, cracking the air with flash and fire, so will His coming be.

The next time you see a bolt of lightning cleave the sky, think of it as a reminder that His coming is near.

  Light in the eastern sky, Jesus returning! Light in the western sky, Jesus is near!
  Daniel B. Towner

  1Seymour Simon,  Lightning  (NY: HarperCollins, 1997), 5-6

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Joshua 5:1-8:35 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%205:1-8:35&version=NKJV )