Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Friday, July 19

A Forever Reunion

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13

Recommended Reading
Romans 14:9 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2014:9&version=NKJV )

Hospital chaplains often give testimony about the different ways families express their grief over the death of a loved one. Some grieve over what they assume to be the permanent loss of their family member. Strong Christian families, by contrast, grieve only at the sadness of temporary separation.

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

Christians in the new church at Thessalonica expressed concern to the apostle Paul about some loved ones who had died prior to Christ's return. Would the deceased brethren miss being united with Christ at His return since they were already dead? Paul's answer was unequivocal: When Christ returns for His Church, the "dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive  and  remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16b-17a). Yes, there is a temporary separation, but not without hope of a permanent reunion.

If you are a believer in Christ who has lost a friend or loved one who was also a Christian, be assured that you will see that one again and forever.

The character wherewith we sink into the grave at death is the very character wherewith we shall reappear at the resurrection.
Thomas Chalmers

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 15-19 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2015-19&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, May 11 & 12

The B-I-B-L-E: Jesus Loves Me

We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19

Recommended Reading
1 John 4:15-21 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%201%20John%204:15-21&version=NKJV )

Sisters Anna and Susan Warner made their home on Constitution Island on the Hudson, right across from the Military Academy at West Point. They taught Bible to the cadets, and they wrote some of the most popular novels in the 1800s. In their novel Say and Seal, they told of a fictional boy named Johnny Fox who was dying. His Sunday school teacher, John Linden, comforted him by taking him in his arms, rocking him, and making up a little song: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. . . ." When composer William Bradbury read the words of John Linden's little song, he composed music for the lines; and "Jesus Loves Me" was born as a children's hymn.

Watch This Week's TV Broadcast ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/television.aspx?tid=email_watchedevo  )

This song gives us our theology in a thimble. Whether we are living or dying, whether weak or strong, whether rich or poor, whether famous or obscure, we can always rest in this truth: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Nothing in all the world is so good as the knowledge and love of Christ, and no pleasure that can be enjoyed equal to the joy of serving Him with all one's heart.
Susan Warner

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 20-28 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2020-28&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, July 22

Yes, But Do You Love?

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1

Recommended Reading
1 Corinthians 13 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013&version=NKJV )

A young minister preached an eloquent sermon one Sunday, and his congregation was nearly as impressed with it as he was. But an insightful octogenarian pulled him aside and asked, "You like to preach to people, don't you?" The pastor admitted he did, whereupon the older man asked, "Yes, but do you love the people you preach to?"

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

The Bible says, "All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD" (Proverbs 16:2, NIV). In today's culture we must carefully evaluate our motives and methods in the Lord's work. It's not how many people we draw to the pews; it's how many hearts we draw to the Lord. It's not just a matter of success; it's a matter of sincerity. The love of Christ should compel us.

Learn to ask the Lord to refine and purify your motives. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, and He can enable us to do the right things in the right ways for the right reasons.

Only one act of pure love, unsullied by any taint of ulterior motive, has ever been performed in the history of the world, namely the self-giving of God in Christ on the cross.
John Stott

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 29-31 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2029-31&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, July 23

Ostriches and Christians

So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, "Do business till I come."
Luke 19:13

Recommended Reading
Luke 19:11-27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019:11-27&version=NKJV )

Ostriches and Christians have gotten a bad rap for opposite reasons. In the case of the big birds, they're accused of hiding their heads in the sand and ignoring immediate threats or problems. Christians are sometimes accused of hiding their heads in the clouds and being so heavenly minded that they're of no earthly good.

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

Neither accusation is right. Ostriches don't hide their heads in the sand. They dig holes for their very large eggs, and several times a day they stick their heads in the holes and turn the eggs to keep them warm on all sides. And as far as biblical Christians are concerned, we keep an eager eye peeled to the eastern sky for our Lord's return, but our feet are firmly planted on the ground as we go about the Master's business.

The Lord has invested His work in us now, and our biblical study of tomorrow's events only makes us more eager to serve Him in practical ways today.

As we study prophetic events that stretch out into the horizons beyond, let us not forget that God has given us that truth so that we can ask this question: "How shall we then live?"
David Jeremiah

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 32-34 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2032-34&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, July 24

Horse Sense

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

Recommended Reading
Psalm 90:10-12 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2090:10-12&version=NKJV )

In one of his books, Stuart Briscoe spoke of the many demands he faced as a busy pastor. There wasn't time for a fraction of the things expected by others, and many items on his "to do" list were left undone. "Each morning I woke up feeling like the cowboy who rode up to a saloon, hitched his horse to the rail, started to pull a bag of oats over the horse's head, and heard the town drunk standing nearby say, 'Any fool can see you'll never fit that horse in that bag!'"

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

We can't possibly fit all the demands of life into the hours of each day. So we must live by priority, by commitment, by putting first things first, and seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Every moment of every day should be lived on God's agenda with a commitment to Jesus as Lord of our pursuits and priorities. No servant can serve two masters. In a world filled with distractions, we're called to serve the only One worthy of our praise and to let His agenda control our days.

Majoring on minors may mean making major mistakes.
Stuart Briscoe

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 35-37 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2035-37&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, July 25

The Fear Factor

Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance... He will come and save you."
Isaiah 35:3-4

Recommended Reading
Matthew 6:25-34 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:25-34&version=NKJV )

Have you ever watched a scary movie and struggled to sleep afterward? Our minds are easily filled with images of  what if.  As children we run to our beds, leaping onto them, afraid that a monster may grab our legs before we make it to safety. We beg our parents to turn on the lights as they check our closets and under our beds. It's easy to get caught up in a story, forgetting about the end where the hero emerges to set things right.

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

The same is true when we think about the end times. We can spend so much time worrying and trying to identify the Antichrist that we forget about the ending: Christ is coming. We don't need to be afraid as we wait for our coming King. He has promised to conquer His enemies and save us. Courage and strength can replace our fear when we realize that our future is secure.

Any time we open ourselves up to fear, we fall prey to his deceptions and intimidations. Yet, if we submit our hearts to God and stand in faith, we can resist those first fearful thoughts. As we yield to God we can master our reactions to fear and the enemy will soon flee.
Francis Frangipane

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 38-40 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2038-40&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, July 26

Who Do You Watch?

My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Recommended Reading
Psalm 139:1-6 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139:1-6&version=NKJV )

Every eye is upon him as he stands above the crowd; the responsibility for the timing and execution of this piece rests on him. As he raises his baton, the silence of the room expands. When he signals, musicians lift their instruments and music fills the room. He knows each member and instrument in the orchestra and has spent many hours preparing them for this performance. He is the conductor.

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

God is the director of the world and all its inhabitants. We may not always be aware of His directing, but He has created all things and sustains all things. He oversees each detail of our lives (Psalm 139). When we lock our attention onto God and ask for His wisdom, He generously gives it to us. We can count on His sovereignty.

When we wait for God's cues and direction, He guides every note of our lives. He will orchestrate every moment to create a masterpiece that sings His praise and reveals His glory.

God has a time for everything, a perfect schedule. He is never too soon, never too late. The when of His will is as important as the what and the how.
Richard C. Halverson

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Isaiah 41-43 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2041-43&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, July 27 & 28

The B-I-B-L-E: Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11

Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:9-16 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119:9-16&version=NKJV )

Ernest Sellers, superintendent of public works in Lansing, Michigan, was converted to Christ at a YMCA rally and became a beloved hymnist. In 1908, he published his simple little song based on Psalm 119:11, "Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart." He wanted us to remember that as we memorize and meditate on God's Word, it becomes implanted in our brains and transforms us from the inside out.

Watch This Week's TV Broadcast ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/television.aspx?tid=email_watchedevo  )

In its April 17, 2012 edition, TIME Magazine devoted an article to the power of the subconscious mind, advising us that whatever we think about as we fall asleep will work its way through our subconscious mind through the night. "Paul McCartney famously said that he came up with the melody for 'Yesterday' in a dream," said the article. "Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, is said to have solved the problem of the machine's needle when he dreamed of an attack by warriors carrying spears with holes in the tips."

Always be working on a memory verse. Hiding God's Word in the furrows of your mind will produce a crop of blessings.

At morning, at noon, and at night I ever will give Thee praise; for Thou art my portion, O Lord, and shall be through all my days!
Ernest Sellers

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 44-49 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2044-49&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, July 29

The Tribulum

Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Recommended Reading
Romans 12:9-13 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:9-13&version=NKJV )

Archaeologists throughout the Mediterranean world have discovered many examples of a farming implement called a tribulum, which was a sort of sled with sharp flint or stones embedded on its underside. As it was dragged over harvested wheat, its sharp stones rubbed the seed from the pods and chopped the straw into chaff. From this comes our word "tribulation" -- being raked by the sharp troubles of life.

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

This word appears often in the Bible. Jesus spoke of a coming Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), but His people face tribulation even now. "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God," warns Acts 14:22. Romans 5:3 says we should "also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance," and Romans 8:35 assures us that tribulation will never separate us from the love of Christ. "In the world you will have tribulation," Jesus warned in John 16:33, "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

If you feel you're caught in a tribulum, be patient and of good cheer. The Lord will deliver you.

In time of tribulation, hear, Lord, my feeble cries; with humble supplication to Thee my spirit flies.
James Montgomery, hymnist

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 50-52 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2050-52&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, July 30

Fragile Threads

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice.
Psalm 97:1

Recommended Reading
Psalm 97:1-6 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2097:1-6&version=NKJV )

If you run out of topics to talk about at your next gathering, just ask this question: What currently known conditions could trigger World War III? North Korea or Iran firing at someone? The collapse of a nuclearized state like Pakistan, with atomic bombs going to the highest bidder? Militant groups using weapons of mass destruction? A global economic crisis that emboldens an adversarial nation? The Middle East erupting in conflagration? An assassination? An errant missile?

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

The world is held together by fragile threads, and Jesus predicted that wars and rumors of wars would characterize the last days. But unrest in the world will eventually come to an end. Christ is coming for His Church, the Great Tribulation will run its course, the Battle of Armageddon will be won by the King of kings, and the peace of God will rule in our hearts forevermore. Without God, our world would be doomed and our lives would be pointless. But He is in complete control, Christ is coming, and His agenda is unfolding every hour.

The Lord reigns. Let the earth rejoice!

Those who are familiar with Bible prophecy are the only ones who can face what seems to be an uncertain future with peaceful confidence.
Tim LaHaye, in Charting the End Times

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 53-56 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2053-56&version=NKJV )