Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, July 31

Instant Victory

And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured....
Revelation 19:19-20

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

The 1982 war between Great Britain and Argentina over the Falklands lasted seventy-four days. The 1971 conflict between India and Pakistan lasted thirteen days. The Six-Day War in the Middle East lasted June 5-10, 1967. Perhaps the shortest war in history occurred in 1896 between Great Britain and Zanzibar. It lasted forty-five minutes. What about the longest war? That would be the Hundred Years' War, which really lasted 116 years, between 1337 and 1453.

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Earth's final battle will end abruptly. The Antichrist will deploy the armies of the world from his headquarters at Armageddon, planning to destroy the nation of Israel once and for all. In the nick of time, Jesus Christ will burst from heaven with a shout, with a word of power, and He will win the victory -- instantly, decisively, gloriously.

As Christians, we'll have a front-row seat to the action. Until then, we can visualize and anticipate victory every time we read Revelation 19 and its description of Him whose name is called Faithful and True. And we can shout with the angels in advance: "Alleluia!"

Christians can rest in the sure conviction that just as Jesus came to earth the first time, so He will return at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation.

David Jeremiah, in What in the World Is Going On?

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 57-59 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2057-59&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, August 1

Near and Far

And [Jesus] began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Luke 4:21

Recommended Reading
Isaiah 61:1-2 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2061:1-2&version=NKJV )

A young man about to leave for college says to his friend: "I want to be involved in student government and do an internship at a law firm." At the end of his freshman year, the friend says, "I thought you were going to do an internship at a law firm."

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"I am," the student says. "I can do student government all four years, but internships are reserved for seniors only."

The freshman student had two parts to his plan that were separated by four years. He would do both but not at the same time. The same thing was true about something Jesus said early in His ministry at a synagogue in Nazareth. He read from Isaiah 61:1-2, prophecies about the coming Messiah, and said those verses were fulfilled in Him. But He omitted the last line of verse 2 that describes "the day of vengeance of our God." That event will be fulfilled in and by Jesus, but only at His Second Coming. So far, 2,000 years have separated the first and second parts of the fulfillment of Isaiah's Messianic prophecy.

When Christ returns, He will "proclaim ... the day of vengeance of our God" when He establishes His kingdom. There is a near and a far view to biblical prophecy.

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
Corrie ten Boom

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 60-63 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2060-63&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, August 2

Jesus the Judge

For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.
John 5:22

Recommended Reading
Matthew 7:1-5 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207:1-5&version=NKJV )

Some of the most scathing words recorded in the Bible are those of Jesus in Matthew 23:13-39 -- the section where He passes judgment on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Seven times He says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!" He accuses them of being hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, blind men, and snakes, and says they are like dirty dishes and tombs -- clean on the outside but dirty on the inside.

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

Is this the same Jesus who said, "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1)? Yes, the very same. So is Jesus the hypocrite in this case -- telling others not to judge but acting like a judge Himself? No, because He knew why He had been sent into the world. Jesus knew that the Father has "committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22). Jesus' entire life -- His words and His works -- was a judgment on this fallen world. On occasion, He put those judgments into specific words as He did with the Pharisees. And He will do it again when He returns as Judge of the nations at His Second Coming.

We are not to judge one another because God has "committed all judgment to the Son." When we place ourselves over others as judge, we are usurping a place given by God to Jesus alone.

No man's conscience is to be a judge for another.
Charles H. Spurgeon

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 64-66 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2064-66&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, August 3 & 4

Right On!: Do What You Know Is Right

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:17

Recommended Reading
James 2:10 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202:10&version=NKJV )

James, the half-brother of Jesus, was slow to affirm the ministry of his controversial brother (John 7:5). Eventually he did come to believe in Him and became one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection (Acts 15:13). And what a leader! Once James got in step with Jesus' mission, he became zealous for righteousness. His one epistle is the most like the messages of the Old Testament prophets of all the New Testament letters.

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James seemed to be a black-and-white thinker. Don't approach James to discuss compromise or the possibility of not doing what God expects. First, James said that if you know what is the right thing to do but don't do it, it is sin (James 4:17). Second, he said that if you do all the right things except one, it's the same in God's sight as not having done any of them (James 2:10). Any questions? But James also appreciated the grace of God. In cases where we don't know the right thing to do, he said ask God for wisdom which God will give "liberally and without reproach" (James 1:5).

Grace doesn't mean we don't have to do the right thing. Neither does it mean we can't ask to be shown.

The Christian must recognize that there are no degrees in right or wrong.
Donald Grey Barnhouse

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 1-5  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%201-5%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, August 5

Wisdom U

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7

Recommended Reading
Proverbs 1:1-7 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%201:1-7&version=NKJV )

Recently CBS News ran an interesting article on the problems of getting a Ph.D. According to the report, there are a dozen downsides to getting that coveted degree. For example, you might end up on food stamps. In the three years covered by the report, the number of Ph.Ds. who filed for food stamps more than tripled. It may also be hard to find a job. Between 2005 and 2009, America produced more than 100,000 doctoral degrees, but only 16,000 new professorships were created.

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If you're working on your education, keep at it! We don't want to discourage you. We need more and more Christians with higher and higher degrees, and we certainly need more Christian thinkers speaking into our culture. But the most important degree is from God's University of Wisdom.

Solomon understood the difference between intellect and wisdom. Our scholastic knowledge is of little value compared to the wisdom we attain when we study God's textbook, the Bible. We can't all earn a doctorate, but we can all enroll in Wisdom U.

Applying God's standards to life's choices is called wisdom; applying the world's standards is called folly.
Woodrow Kroll, in Proverbs: The Pursuit of God's Wisdom

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 6-8 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%206-8&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, August 6

His Understanding Is Infinite

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
Psalm 147:5

Recommended Reading
Psalm 147:1-6 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20147:1-6&version=NKJV )

Notice the phrase in the verse above -- "His understanding is infinite." That's the attribute of God called  omniscience . The prefix  omni  means  all ;  science  means  knowledge . According to Psalm 147, the all-knowingness of God should propel us to praise.

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

God knows all we know, all the angels know, all the universal truths of the cosmos, and all the particulars of our lives down to the number of hairs on our heads. He knows the future as well as the past. He knows what will happen and what will not. If He were a chess player, the Lord would instantly know all the possible moves of every piece into infinity. He knows all realities and contingencies. His understanding is infinite.

Ours is not. Even in heaven we'll not be omniscient, but we'll always be capable of learning, of advancing in wisdom. The more we understand God and His precepts, the more we realize how much more we need to learn. It's exciting to realize we can grow wiser as we humbly learn at the feet of Jesus. May the Lord teach us more of His wisdom and His ways today!

God knows all things independently.... He receives not His knowledge from anything without Him; He hath no tutor to instruct Him, or book to inform Him.
Stephen Charnock, in  The Existence and Attributes of God

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 9-11 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%209-11&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, August 7

Your Signature

Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22

Recommended Reading
James 1:21-27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20James%201:21-27&version=NKJV )

Everyone knows to read legal documents before signing them. If signed blindly, you may be affected in unforeseen ways. The additional fees and required actions are difficult to get out of once you have signed the agreement. Your signature equals your commitment and approval.

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Our actions are the signature to our beliefs. Actions tell us more about our beliefs than our words do. We know the danger of signing blindly, but do we know the danger of living blindly?

It is easy to say we believe in being on time, but if we are continually late, our actions prove otherwise. Our actions bind us to our beliefs in the same way that our signature binds us to a legal document. We expect integrity from our leaders; and while you may not see yourself as a leader, each of us has influence. Our actions are witnessed by friends, coworkers, family, and even strangers. Impressions are left. Our influence is either positive or negative. We affect the lives of others through our words, and even more so through our actions.

God has given each of us a sphere of influence. We can either ignore or intentionally use it. What beliefs are your actions undersigning?

When I have integrity, my words and my deeds match up.
John C. Maxwell

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

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, August 8

God's Appointment

He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.
Daniel 2:21a

Recommended Reading
1 Samuel 26:5-25 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2026:5-25&version=NKJV )

When the people of Israel began to praise David more than King Saul, he became jealous and sought to kill David. God had appointed David to be the next king and when Saul set himself against David, he was setting himself against God. It would have been easy for David to fight back, but he knew God had given Saul the kingship. Until God demoted Saul, David honored God by respecting Saul.

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The Psalms David wrote during that time are filled with heartfelt prayers asking God to defend him. Twice David had the opportunity to kill Saul. The second time David spared Saul's life, his prayers were answered. Saul realized his error and stopped pursuing David: "May you  be  blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail" (1 Samuel 26:25a).

God hears our prayers. David knew he could trust the King of kings to reign in the world and in his circumstances. He honored God through prayerfully maintaining an attitude of respect, patience, and temperance toward the governing authority God had placed above him.

We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.
Andrew Murray

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 15-17 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2015-17&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, August 9

WARNING!

For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead.
Proverbs 2:18

Recommended Reading

Proverbs 7:1-27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%207:1-27&version=NKJV )

The Seattle Times recorded a story of an incident that happens all too often. Due to heavy rains, a local river overflowed its banks and covered a nearby road. Authorities had closed the road and posted WARNING signs. But a 58-year-old motorist ignored the signs and tried to use the flooded road anyway. Her car was swept into the flooded river and she perished. A local authority said the woman was likely deceived by what seemed like shallow water on the road but didn't realize how strong the current was.

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

Isn't that what WARNING signs are for -- to tell us about things that look safe but in reality aren't? People who ignore warning signs usually don't do so arrogantly. They simply are deceived into thinking that they know more than the person who erected the sign; they think they will be the exception. The Book of Proverbs is full of warnings -- like the warnings to young men to avoid the temptations of immorality. How often is that warning ignored in our culture, and how destructive are the consequences?

The warnings in the Bible are written in plain language not to limit our pleasure but to preserve our lives. God has ordained that we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).

Warning signs are only helpful when they are heeded.
Unknown

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 18-21 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2018-21&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, August 10 & 11

Right On!: Do What Is Right in God's Sight

If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.
Exodus 15:26

Recommended Reading
Luke 6:46-49 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206:46-49&version=NKJV )

In many ways, modern cultures are like the ancient society of Israel -- everybody doing what is right in his or her own eyes. In pluralistic cultures where tolerance is the highest value, people hold dear the right to do whatever they want. And indeed, citizens have that right (up to a point). But it's the consequences that arise over time that people don't like.

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When God brought the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, the people agreed to "do what is right in His sight" (Exodus 15:26). That was the covenant agreement the people entered into, God promising to bless them for their willingness, in essence, to set aside what they thought was right and do what God said is right. However, their commitment didn't last long (Judges 17:6; 21:25). By the time Solomon became king he identified as fools those who do what is right in their own eyes (Proverbs 12:15; 21:2).

Wise are the people who are willing to believe that what God says is right, is right for them.

Nothing is right for a Christian if it is not God's will for him.
John Blanchard

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 22-27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2022-27&version=NKJV )