Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, October 8

Our Adversary, Our Advocate

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
Zechariah 3:1

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

The Old Testament Book of Zechariah is filled with strange visions and important lessons for God's people. In chapter 3, Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the Lord. (This isn't the Joshua who fought the Battle of Jericho; this is the Joshua who helped rebuild the temple in postexilic times). Evidently he was discouraged and feeling bad about himself. In some sense Satan was opposing and accusing him to God. But the Lord rebuked the devil. Then in his vision Zechariah watched as Joshua's dirty garments were removed and he was dressed in clean clothes and a turban.

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

The devil is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), but the apostle John tells us "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Our adversary, the devil, wants us to believe God sits on His throne frowning at our every move. But God is working on our behalf so we'll be successful and approved by Him.

If the adversary bothers you today, remember you have an Advocate -- Jesus Christ the righteous.

We have an Advocate who ...,because He is infinite ..., can give His attention to an infinite number of children at any moment of time and can faithfully represent them as Defense Attorney before God, as need arises.
J. Dwight Pentecost

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 18-20 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018-20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, October 9

A Valuable Lesson

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Philippians 4:12

Recommended Reading
Proverbs 30:8-9 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2030:8-9&version=NKJV )

For many people, the silver lining in the recent economic cloud was a wake-up call concerning personal indebtedness. The housing market had skyrocketed and many people took on more debt than they could handle. And when the housing bubble burst ... well, everyone is familiar with what happened.

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It wasn't just housing debt -- credit card debt had soared to record levels before the downturn began. The last several years have been a reminder that "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). What is the source of debt? Most often, debt arises when we live beyond our means. It happens when we are not satisfied with what God has provided. The apostle Paul discovered the secret to living within one's means: contentment. And the key word in his description of contentment is "learned" -- being content is not something we do naturally. Sometimes it takes a hard experience to learn this valuable lesson.

If you feel envious today, ask God for discipline and insight to learn the secret of contentment.

To be content with one's possessions is one of the most strongly worded exhortations in Scripture.
Jerry Bridges

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 21-22 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2021-22&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, October 10

Staying Free

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Proverbs 22:7

Recommended Reading
1 Timothy 6:6-10 [ http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%206:6-10&version=NKJV ]

If a new "toy" caught your eye -- boat, car, a recreational vehicle of some sort -- but the cost was beyond your reach, how would you respond to this offer from the salesman: "I can work out a way for you to make the purchase, with only one stipulation: You and your family will become my slaves for the duration of the six-year loan. It won't be that bad. It just means you'll have to get my permission before you spend any money -- even a penny -- for the next six years."

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

What would you do? Without thinking, we enslave ourselves every time we borrow money to buy something we actually can't afford -- if we believe Proverbs 22:7 (NIV), that is: "the borrower is slave to the lender." We wouldn't think of letting someone enslave our family, but Proverbs 25:28 suggests how it happens: "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls." Lack of self-control in any area invites others to enslave us. Without self-control, we buy what we can't afford. With the resulting debt, we enslave ourselves to the lender.

Ask God today for the protection of self-control when it comes to spending, and for the resulting freedom to be no one's servant except His.

The alternative to discipline is disaster.
Vance Havner

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 23-24 [ http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023-24&version=NKJV ]

[Judy Harder]

Friday, October 11

Unseen Protector

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

Recommended Reading
Proverbs 3:21-26 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%203:21-26&version=NKJV )

When actor James ("Jimmy") Stewart left Hollywood to become an Air Force pilot after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, his father gave him a copy of Psalm 91 to carry with him as he flew bombing missions. According to the Jimmy Stewart Museum, the actor said, "What a promise for an airman. I placed in His hands the squadron I would be leading. And, as the psalmist promised, I felt myself borne up." Stewart was referring, of course, to Psalm 91:12: "In their hands [the angels] shall bear you up."

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

Biblical writers were confident of nothing if not God's power and protection. That doesn't mean that harm never came to an Israelite or a Christian. But it does mean that God's oversight was part of His protection. The author of Psalm 91 was saying the same as David in Psalm 23: We will fear no evil because God is with us. The knowledge of His presence becomes a comfort in times of danger. If God is with us, then nothing can touch us without His knowledge.

Life can be dangerous even on the best days. Make sure you live it confidently and fearlessly, knowing that God is with you.

A sovereign Protector I have, unseen, yet forever at hand.
Augustus M. Toplady

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 25-26 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025-26&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, October 12 & 13

Do Not Be Afraid: Overcoming Memories

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

Recommended Reading
Numbers 13:26-14:9 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2013:26-14:9&version=NKJV )

When Joshua was preparing to take the Israelites into the Promised Land, God gave him a promise: "The Lord your God is with you wherever you go." It wasn't just the task that had Joshua worried. It was also a thirty-eight-year-old memory.

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Two years after the exodus from Egypt, the nation arrived at Kadesh where Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan. After forty days, the spies returned burdened with the fruit of the land -- and burdened about the warlike nature of the inhabitants. Ten of the spies warned Moses not to try to take the land because the giants that lived there would surely defeat them. To their credit, Joshua and Caleb disagreed, saying God would give them victory. For rebelling against God at Kadesh, the nation wandered in the wilderness thirty-eight years until that generation died off. Now Joshua would lead the second generation of Israelites against the next generation of Canaanite giants and their iron chariots.

Memories are powerful things. If God is calling you to do something, don't let a bad memory stand in your way -- "for the Lord your God is with you."

Take courage. We walk in the wilderness today and in the Promised Land tomorrow.
Dwight L. Moody

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 27-Mark 3  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027-Mark%203&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, October 14

Reign of Terror

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."
Psalm 91:2

Recommended Reading
Psalm 91
( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091&version=NKJV )

The word "terror" is akin to "terrible" from a Latin term meaning "great fear." Every day the headlines speak of "terror threats," "terror plots" and "terror attacks." From the surveillance of our communication to the checkpoints at our airports, our world has become a different place because of terror.

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The heroes of the Bible faced great fear too. Job said, "Terrors overwhelm me" (Job 30:15, NIV). David said, "My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me" (Psalm 55:4). Jeremiah spoke of "the terrors" that surrounded him (Lamentations 2:22).

Psalm 91 tells us what to do in such times, whether the fear is public panic or personal anxiety: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty .... You shall not be afraid of the terror by night."

We all experience some heart-pounding moments in life, but the Most High is always there to afford us peace and protection. God's children have a safe and secure refuge under the shadow of the Almighty.

Destructive anxiety subtracts God from the future, faces uncertainties with no faith, and tallies up the challenges of the day without entering God into the equation.
Max Lucado, in Fear Not Promise Book

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Mark 4-5  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204-5%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, October 15

Inside and Outside

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed ....
Psalm 46:1-2

Recommended Reading
Psalm 46 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2046%20&version=NKJV )

According to Psalm 46, there are external and internal provisions from the Lord in times of disaster, for God is both our  refuge  and  strength .

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

The external provision of His grace is seen in the word  refuge . A person being chased might run toward a fortress and race across the mote as the drawbridge is being raised. He'll find himself enclosed within the walls of safety. As Martin Luther said, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing!"

The internal provision is the  strength  God gives. According to Psalm 46:1, the same God who is our refuge on the outside is our strength on the inside. I wonder if you've discovered the "strength" verses of the Bible. There's no room to list them here, but sometime when you feel worried or weary look up the references to strength in the Bible. The Book of Isaiah says God renews our strength (Isaiah 40:31), and Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

Both within and around you, God is your refuge and strength.

If He is our refuge and strength ... then we shall never fear under any circumstances, not even though the earth be removed.
R. A. Torrey

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Mark 6-7 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206-7&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, October 16

Fading Investments

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24

Recommended Reading
John 14:1-7 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:1-7&version=NKJV )

Generous people have this in common: they know possessions are temporal. Rather than trying to grasp and collect all they can, they give. When we forget the temporal nature of our possessions, we spend our energy protecting what we have and grasping for more. While the world equates money, prestige, and power to success, Christ reminds us that the world's success is temporary.

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

If we listen to the world, we are building on sand which will be washed away. If we listen to Christ, we are secure. He is our Rock. If we pay attention, the temporary nature of possessions is clear: Clothes wear out, computers die, glassware breaks, and coffee spills onto our recently purchased carpet.

The signs are all around us. This world, our possessions, and even our lives on earth are temporary. If we listen to Christ, finding our satisfaction and security in Him, we are set free from our frantic gathering of earthly success and possessions. We live in the truth that Jesus is preparing an eternal home for us that will not fade. When we follow Him and His teaching, we are investing in eternity.

We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance to those who belong there. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
Dwight L. Moody

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Mark 8-9  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%208-9%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

, October 17

Sinking Sorrow

I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.
Psalm 6:6

Recommended Reading
Psalm 62 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2062&version=NKJV )

Depression is no longer a symptom of the few. Almost everyone has struggled with, or knows someone who has struggled with, depression. While the causes vary, the pain of those affected is real and overwhelming. Thankfully, in the Bible, we discover we are not alone. Rachel and Hannah, inconsolable, cried out to God for a child. Jonah ran from God and then sat in a depressed stupor when God decided to save the city through his preaching. Peter wept bitterly when he denied Christ. Both Moses and Elijah stood on the Mount of Transfiguration with the Lord and later, in a deep depression, prayed that they might die. Even Jesus was sorrowful and wept.

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When depressed, the turbulent winds and waves of our emotions threaten to pull us under. Our eyes see the storm and forget about the One who is with us. Like Peter when he began to sink, we can cry out to God. He is with us. If your heart is heavy or discouraged, remember that God is "close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18, NIV). You are not alone. God understands you and will remain with you through the storm.

We have ample evidence that the Lord is able to guide... All we need to do is to take the hand he stretches out.
Elisabeth Elliot

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Mark 10-11 

[Judy Harder]

Friday, October 18

Feeling Good by Being Grateful

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?
Psalm 42:5a

Recommended Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%205:16-18&version=NKJV )

Dr. Robert Emmons is unofficially known as "the gratitude scientist". Officially, he's a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and author of  Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier.  His "10 Ways to Become More Grateful" are helpful, especially number four: Learn Prayers of Gratitude.1 It's hard to feel depressed and grateful at the same time.

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

Actually, linking prayer and gratitude together is not so much "new science" as it is old wisdom. The apostle Paul linked the two together in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: "Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks." When we find ourselves discouraged -- or "cast down" to use the psalmist's language -- finding ways to give thanks is a positive antidote to a negative condition. While it may be counterintuitive to give thanks for the circumstance causing our discouragement, we can still give thanks "in" that circumstance.

Whether you are happy or sad at this moment, give thanks to God for the blessings you enjoy.

Christian doctrine is grace, and Christian conduct is gratitude.
J. I. Packer

1greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_ways_to_become_more_grateful1 (accessed 6-13-13)

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Mark 12-13 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2012-13&version=NKJV )