Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, December 7

Visions of Christmas: Seeing Green

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

Recommended Reading
2 Thessalonians 1:3 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians%201:3&version=NKJV )

"Chlorophyll," a green pigment, comes from two Greek words that mean "green" and "leaf." Chlorophyll allows for photosynthesis to take place -- a plant's ability to absorb energy from light and use that energy to cause growth.

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

If we had to pick a color for Christmas, it might be green because of all the greenery we see -- Christmas trees, holly, mistletoe, and evergreen garlands gracing banisters and mantels. All that greenery is there because of chlorophyll -- the energy-producing growth factor in plants. So when we decorate with greenery this Christmas it can remind us to ask, "How can I grow in Christ this Christmas season? What can be my spiritual chlorophyll?" No one needs reminding of how busy Christmas can be, crowding out quiet time for prayer and Bible study. Assuming we maintain those disciplines, what can we do to reach higher and farther -- to actually grow? Consider looking for opportunities to do what Christ came into the world to do: to serve others in love (Mark 10:45).

Every time we deny ourselves in order to serve someone else, we grow in Christ. Make that a goal this Christmas.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Galatians 4-Ephesians 3  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%204-Ephesians%203&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, December 09

One-Upping the Digital Age

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 14:26

Recommended Reading
Joshua 1:8 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%201:8&version=NKJV )

Today there are numerous ways to have ready access to the Bible. Most people have multiple printed Bibles, and more versions are available on the Internet. We can also access the Bible from our smartphones, digital music players, pads or tablets, and computers (not to mention CDs and DVDs). While the digital revolution has helped multiply copies of God's Word, there has been an unintended negative impact on an important spiritual discipline related to the Bible: Scripture memorization. Why memorize something that you can call up anytime, anywhere on a digital device?

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

It was different in the biblical era. Copies of Scripture were extremely rare, especially in the Old Testament. For that reason, it was necessary to memorize the text mostly through listening. And when we hide God's Word in our mind and heart (Psalm 119:11), we have one-upped the digital age. Whatever you have memorized is available for the Holy Spirit to use at a moment's notice as a doctrine, a reproof, a correction, teaching, or comfort (2 Timothy 3:16).

Yes, the digital age has many benefits. But it is still up to us to put God's Word in the one place where it is always available: in our mind.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Ephesians 4-6  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204-6%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, December 10

Remember to Remember!

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.
Psalm 143:5

Recommended Reading
Numbers 15:39-40 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2015:39-40&version=NKJV )

Part of aging is memory loss -- sometimes it is significant, and other times it is subtle. So we exercise, eat right, lay off the sugar, read, do the crosswords, juggle, play Ping-Pong, and brush our teeth with our opposite hand -- all proven to strengthen the brain. But the Israelites had a different memory tool: tassels. They wore tassels on their garments so they could "look upon [ them ] and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them" (Numbers 15:37-40). Something as simple as a tassel can remind us of God, His Word, and His faithfulness.

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

You may not want to sew tassels on the hem of your garments, but there are plenty of other ways to remind yourself of what God has done in your life. The most permanent reminder is a written record -- a diary, a journal, 3" x 5" cards, or notes you type on your computer. If Moses had to remind the Israelites to remember their rescue from Egypt (Exodus 13:3), how much more should we be writing down the less dramatic but equally memorable ways God has been faithful to us?

Are you keeping a record? In the challenging days of life, you will be encouraged to look back and remember how God met your needs and answered your prayers.

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

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, December 11

Write It Down

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.
1 Chronicles 16:12

Recommended Reading
Psalm 77:11-12 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2077:11-12&version=NKJV )

You take a trip -- a trip that you have been anticipating for a long time. You pack your essentials: clothes, toiletries, maybe even a camera. But you forgot to bring a notepad and pencil to keep a journal of what happened through your thoughts. Tragically, your camera breaks a day into the trip. Far too soon you realize it's almost time to return home to your normal life and to leave the best trip of your life. The one thing you brought along to remember the trip is no longer functioning. Now you wish you had brought a backup plan -- a journal.

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

Journaling is a good way to remember the details of a special vacation, but it is also a wonderful way to recall God's faithfulness.

The Bible is filled with instructions for us to make remembering things or people a high priority. "But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings" (Hebrews 10:32). A journal is a great way to keep track of what happens daily in your walk with God and to record your prayers and thoughts. It's a way to remember God's words to you that day, and to bring to mind His goodness and mercy when you recollect that day.

Recall God's faithfulness -- write it down!

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Colossians 1-4  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201-4%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, December 12

No Christmas, No Bible

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21

Recommended Reading
John 14:6 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:6&version=NKJV )

On Christmas Eve, some families follow the routine of setting out a glass of milk and cookies for Santa's visit, and even remember to provide carrots for his reindeer. Sleep is often hard to find as the little ones anticipate the day to come that is filled with presents, food, family, and friends. But as much fun and joy as these routines bring, that is not the reason why Christmas Day is so special -- it's the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

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

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18).

If there hadn't been a Christmas, the Bible would be untrue because prophecies of the Old Testament would be left unfulfilled. And if the Bible were untrue, our God would be unknown. If our God is unknown, our sins would be left on the table and our prayers would go unanswered.

But Jesus did come into this world to be our Savior -- bringing the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Instead of fixating on the idea of presents during Christmas, make sure you realize what happened on that day when Jesus was born and what it means for your faith.

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

[Judy Harder]

Friday, December 13

What If?

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5

Recommended Reading
1 Timothy 3:16 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%203:16&version=NKJV )

The late Dr. D. James Kennedy and his co-author Jerry Newcombe wrote an important book in 1994 titled  What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?  In sixteen chapters, they thoroughly document the impact of Christianity on our world: the value of human life, the poor, education, civil liberties, science, economics, the family, medicine, morality, and the arts. It is staggering to consider what the world might be like without genuine Christian faith.

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

As we approach the celebration of Christ's birth this month, it is also important to consider what our personal lives would have been like without the first Christmas. That is, What if God had not entered into the human realm in the person of Christ? The apostle Paul says plainly that we "were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). Every human being ever born has been in that condition (Romans 3:23). What if the world today contained only unregenerate people, dead in their sins?

Yes, many are still in that condition, but I pray you are not. If you have accepted Christ, your sins have been washed away, and you have been born again into a new life through faith in the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who came to rescue this world.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Thessalonians 1-3 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians%201-3&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, December 14

Visions of Christmas: Seeing White

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.
Acts 2:46

Recommended Reading
1 Corinthians 14:33 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%201%20Corinthians%2014:33&version=NKJV )

Our modern Christian activities are much more elaborate and complicated than those of the early church. That's not to say their lives weren't complicated. In any age, the duties of life seem to expand to fill the time and resources available. Yet Luke, the author of Acts, noted something about the early Christians. He didn't say their life was simple, but he did say they lived their lives with "simplicity of heart" (Acts 2:46). Is it possible to live with simplicity of heart in a busy season like Christmas? It must be. If the early Christians did it from week to week, we can surely do it at Christmas.

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We don't know exactly what Luke meant by his words, but it must have something to do with staying focused on the basics which he mentioned in verse 42: teaching, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer. What are the basics of Christmas? Love, generosity, worship, service, giving, contemplation, gratitude, and others.

Like a pure white garment (Revelation 19:, keep this Christmas clutter free by living with simplicity of heart.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Timothy 1-2 Timothy 4 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%201-2%20Timothy%204&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, December 16

A Vaulted Tale

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him.
Matthew 2:11

Recommended Reading
Acts 17:22-31 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017:22-31&version=NKJV )

J. Edgar Parks wrote about a man named George Mason, a banker who inadvertently locked himself in his bank vault on Christmas Eve. He didn't get out until the morning after Christmas, when he slipped out sheepishly but silently as the door automatically swung open. What bothered him most was that nobody had missed him. He had been so detached from Christmas preparations that not a single person had noticed his absence. He resolved to never again "miss" Christmas.

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

Few people are ever locked in a bank vault, but lots of people miss Christmas. They may party, spend, give, receive, and concentrate on the things of the world. But none of that speaks of the essence of Christmas. The true celebration of Christmas is when we ponder afresh the grace of God who became human, entered history through a virgin's womb, and brought redemption to the world. Pondering these things leads to prayer, and prayer leads to worship, and worship leads to obedience and joyful service.

If you're in a vault of your own making -- busyness or bitterness or business -- break out of it. Worship Christ the Newborn King.

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

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, December 17

Don't Miss the Merry

The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared.
Titus 2:11

Recommended Reading
Psalm 100:3-5 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20100:3-5&version=NKJV )

Newspaper columnist Joseph Szalay wrote of serving with the 102nd Infantry Division during World War II. Christmas 1944 found him in combat in Germany. He gave gifts to the men in his section. The gifts were his personal possessions wrapped with paper from packages from home. "It was a Christmas I'll long remember," he said. "All we prayed for was to see another Christmas."

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

His next Christmas was spent at sea in a terrible storm. "We prayed we would live through it," he wrote. Arriving home in January of 1946, he celebrated a late Christmas with the family he hadn't seen in two years. "This was the happiest Christmas I can remember," he said. "I haven't missed Christmas with my family since then and I thank God for all the Christmases since coming home from the war."

Our hearts ache for those who miss Christmas because of distance; but it's far worse to miss Christmas because of disinterest. Make this the merriest Christmas you can remember. Be thankful for every little thing about the holiday this year, and praise God each day of the season.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Hebrews 1-4  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%201-4%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, December 18

Emotional Music

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Luke 2:13-14

Recommended Reading
1 Chronicles 16:23 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2016:23&version=NKJV )

The French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte observed that you can tell a great deal about people by what went on in their life, and the world, when they were twenty years of age. Expanding that idea, most adults love to listen to the music that was popular when they were fifteen to twenty years old. There is a continuing connection between the music that moved us when we were at an emotionally-heightened age -- like adolescence -- and the music we still love. All music is emotional, but especially the music connected to important experiences -- like salvation.

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

That may account for why people love Christmas music. Part of the reason is the anticipation that builds up all year. But a better reason is that our salvation is an emotionally compelling experience. It seems that musicians and lyricists have done some of their best work through the ages when writing songs about one of history's most important events, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

We sing with joy and tears at Christmas for good reason -- salvation came to earth 2,000 years ago and opened the door of eternal life for all who believe. Nothing could be more emotional and worth singing about.

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