Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Monday, August 12

Sprayed With Foolishness

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Isaiah 1:18

Recommended Reading
Isaiah 1:16-20 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201:16-20&version=NKJV )

Earlier this year, a TSA agent at JFK International Airport in New York found a device he thought was a laser pointer, and he started playing around with it. It was actually a canister of pepper spray, which he accidentally discharged on fellow workers. Six TSA employees were taken to the hospital, and security checks were halted for fifteen minutes due to the incident.

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

Perhaps no great harm was done, but this story illustrates how easily we can hurt others by just "playing around." A moment of carelessness, a wrong action, a foolish decision, a rash word, a yielding to temptation -- and the results can be far worse than a dose of pepper spray. They can inflict lifelong damage.

The effects of foolishness may be irreversible, painful, and deep; but God can restore any heart, forgive any sin, and turn all things for good. If you've hurt someone through past foolishness or if your heart is heavy with the weight of bygone failures, place your sin under the blood of Christ. He can give you total forgiveness and give you a new start today.

Though your sins should be double-dyed as crimson was, though you have sinned again and again and again... yet He is able to cleanse you.
Charles H. Spurgeon

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 28-30   ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2028-30&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, August 13

Then We Met

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
Hebrews 13:4

Recommended Reading
1 John 1:1-9 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201:1-9&version=NKJV )

"My wife and I were happy for twenty years," said comedian Rodney Dangerfield, "then we met." It doesn't have to be that way, of course. A quality marriage depends on a consistent walk with the Lord. Before we're married our top priority should be our relationship with Him. After marriage, it's the same. If we walk in the light, we'll have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7). Our relationship with our spouse will be as strong as our intimacy with the Savior.

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

Hebrews 13:4 sums this up by giving us two rules for a thriving marriage: priority and purity. Marriage is honorable, so we should give it priority, working on it and patiently building a friendship around our romance. It also deserves purity as we avoid all hints of immoral behavior and diligently guard against anything or anyone drawing our hearts away from our vows.

Walk with the Master, work on the marriage, keep Christ first in your life, and you can be happy all the years the Lord gives you on earth.

It takes three to make love, not two: you, your spouse, and God.
Fulton J. Sheen

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 31-32  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2031-32&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, August 14

A Lifetime of Contentment

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Peter 3:7

Recommended Reading
Ephesians 5:22-33 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%205:22-33&version=NKJV )

John and Ann Betar were named (unofficially) as the longest married couple in the United States for 2013. As of April 13, 2013, they had been married 80 years, 139 days. When asked for the secret to their long relationship, John Betar said, "We just live with contentment and we don't live beyond our means. Just go with the flow."

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"Living with contentment" sounds like the apostle Peter's advice to husbands: "Treat your wife as a fellow heir of the grace of life" (1 Peter 3:7, paraphrase). When two people stay married as long as the Betars, it takes more than a civil union. There has to have been a blending and bonding that epitomizes the meaning of "two becoming one" (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5). There has to be a measure of contentment by which each person is comfortable with the other's standing before God as an equal sharer in God's gifts and callings. And that doesn't happen naturally, but it can happen supernaturally.

Whatever your marital state, agree with God that relationships take work -- especially those that last a lifetime.

Marriage is a perpetual test of character.
Unknown

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 33-36  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2033-36&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, August 15

Start Young

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Recommended Reading
Ephesians 6:4 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:4&version=NKJV )

King Solomon did not have access to modern research on child development. But several thousand years ago, he said something about children that modern research has validated. Today, child development experts suggest that the majority of a child's personality is in place at a very young age. Solomon suggested something similar: A child's foundational values will stick with him or her for the rest of the child's life.

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Specifically, when talking about raising godly children, Solomon said to begin training them when they are young and the training will stay with them even when they are old. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom -- wise sayings that reflect godly principles. Proverbs 22:6 doesn't mean there will never be a child raised in a godly home that won't walk away from God and stay away. Rather, it is an instruction and guide for parents: Build into your children at an early age godly principles and those principles will guide them as they grow older.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Start young when training up your children. Trust that God will bless that training even when they are old."

If you would train your children rightly, train them in the way they should go and not in the way they would.
J. C. Ryle

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 37-39   ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2037-39%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, August 16

Gain From Pain

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.
Psalm 119:71

Recommended Reading
Hebrews 12:5-13 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Hebrews%2012:5-13&version=NKJV )

There is one parental saying that no child believes -- until that child becomes a parent: "This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you." No parent likes the duty of causing a child to experience discomfort as a result of discipline. But every parent knows that life's most painful lessons are the longest remembered.

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The Old Testament psalmist said that affliction is what taught him the necessity of obeying God's Word (Psalm 119:67, 71, 92). And Solomon, in his proverbs, revealed a truth that would cause God's people to look at discipline in a whole new light: "For whom the LORD loves He corrects" (Proverbs 3:11-12). That is, correction and discipline are evidences of God's love! How contrary to the modern philosophy that love means letting a child find his or her own way. The writer of Hebrews took Proverbs 3:12 to its logical conclusion: "But if you are without chastening [from God] ... then you are illegitimate and not sons" (Hebrews 12:.

Better for a Christian to be reproved by God, or a child by his or her parents, than to willfully follow their own path and be uncorrected and unloved.

Those that would enjoy the dignities and privileges of Christ's family must submit to the discipline of it.
Matthew Henry

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 40-43   ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2040-43%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, August 17 & 18

Right On!: Exercise Your Right to Be a Child of God

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 1:12

Recommended Reading
Galatians 3:26-28 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%203:26-28&version=NKJV )

Words and ideas have been lifted from Scripture and applied erroneously. A good example is the idea of "God's children." Today, we often hear it said that "we are all God's children." There was even a religious cult that arose in the late 1960s called the Children of God.

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The Bible, however, takes a narrower view of the phrase "children of God." In each of ten New Testament uses, it refers to born-again Christians only. In fact, the apostle John wrote that only certain people have a right to call themselves a child of God -- those who receive Jesus Christ by faith, embracing the fullness of His mission (John 1:12). The apostle Paul echoed that doctrinal view in Galatians 3:26: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ." The idea of being children of God emphasizes the Fatherhood of God, Christians having been adopted into His family (Romans 8:12-17).

The most secure place to be in this world is in the family of God. Make sure you have exercised your right to be there through faith in Christ.

The true reason for becoming a Christian is not that we may have a wonderful life but that we may be in a right relationship to God.
Will Metzger

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 44-48 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2044-48&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, August 19

Sow Love, Reap Love

Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9

Recommended Reading
Matthew 13:1-9 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:1-9&version=NKJV )

Andy and Barney ... Laverne and Shirley ... Lucy and Ethel ... Tom and Jerry ... Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.... Who doesn't want a Best Friend Forever? It's been the key to the plots of many great novels, movies, and television shows. Some of our favorite Bible stories are about friendship too -- Ruth and Naomi ... David and Jonathan .... Paul and Silas....

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Perhaps you need a best friend today. We know the Lord is our greatest friend, but He knows we also need human fellowship. Though it seems strange advice, we never make friends by trying to find friends; for when we seek friendship, it's an indication we're putting our own needs first, that we're looking for a friend who will alleviate some sense of loneliness in our own lives or bring us some sense of fulfillment.

Rather than seeking a friend, try being a friend. The parable of the sower tells us we reap what we sow. If we sow the seeds of love and smiles and friendliness, we'll have an abundant harvest. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all" (Galatians 6:10).

A lone state need never be. Friendship will create friendship. Sow love, reap love.
Charles Stanford

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 49  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2049&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, August 20

"Even Longer"

Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
1 Corinthians 15:33

Recommended Reading
1 Corinthians 15:29-34 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2015:29-34&version=NKJV )

"We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?" asked Piglet in one of A. A. Milne's timeless children's stories, to which Pooh responded, "Even longer."

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The Lord wants us to have friendships that last forever, and even longer. Christians only part to meet again (while the unsaved only meet to part again). Yes, we'll know our loved ones in heaven and our relationships there will pick up where they've left off on earth.

The Resurrection Chapter of the Bible -- 1 Corinthians 15 -- is packed with encouragement about our eternal destiny. But right in the middle of this chapter is verse 33, warning us, "Evil company corrupts good habits." The apostle Paul said that without the hope of the resurrection, all that's left is an attitude of: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (verse 32). This godless, secular attitude can spread to our hearts very quickly, doing great damage. God created us to be in relationships with each other, but we must choose our close friends wisely. Be with those who build you up; flee from those who tear you down.

True friends ... face in the same direction, toward common projects, interests, goals.
C. S. Lewis

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

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, August 21

A Treasure Within

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you ...?
1 Corinthians 6:19

Recommended Reading
2 Corinthians 4:1-15 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%204:1-15&version=NKJV )

A Montana man, on a road trip with his dog, Sundance, stopped for a meal, leaving the pooch in the car. Well, Sundance must have been hungry too, for he nosed around in the vehicle until he found five $100 bills and ate them like dog biscuits. The man returned to find his pet's meal had cost him a good deal more than his own.

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As Christians, we have something inside us that a billion dollars can't buy. We have something better than gold in our hearts. We have the Holy Spirit as a deposit or down payment, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:22). Our bodies are His temples, and we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency may be of Him (2 Corinthians 4:7).

That leads to a life of thanksgiving as our hearts overflow. Gratitude isn't a momentary feeling; it's a constant attitude produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit as He reminds us of our blessings in Christ. Be thankful today, as though you had swallowed sunshine.

When I met Christ, I felt that I had swallowed sunshine.
E. Stanley Jones

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jeremiah 51-52 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2051-52&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, August 22

A Fifty-Year Thank You

He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
Psalm 18:16

Recommended Reading
Psalm 124 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20124&version=NKJV )

One day in 1964, five-year-old Eady Rothstein fell into a swimming pool in Long Island, New York. She would have drowned but for the efforts of Larry Brickman, 21, a lifeguard who knew CPR, which was rare at the time. Now, almost fifty years later, Eady used family scrapbooks and online search engines to locate Larry and express her gratitude. "I've always said I wanted to thank him," Rothstein said. "I owe my life, and it's a very nice feeling to finally be able to say, 'Thank you.'"1

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It's always a very nice feeling to say "Thank you." Having a thankful spirit enhances our personalities and provides a powerful antidote for discouragement. Things don't always go our way, and sometimes we're "underwater" in life; but we have a Savior who redeems all our situations, a mighty hand that draws us up and sets our feet on a rock. He can make all things work together for good.

Don't wait a moment longer to tell Him: "Thanks!"

Whenever you stop being thankful in your spirit, you begin to push God to the perimeter of your life.
David Jeremiah

1 Eric Pfeiffer, "Woman Tracks Down Lifeguard Who Saved Her Nearly 50 Years Ago," Yahoo! News. (accessed April 12, 2013).

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Lamentations 1-2 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations%201-2&version=NKJV )