Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, January 11 & 12

A New Year to Prioritize Your Priorities

One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.
Psalm 27:4

Recommended Reading
Psalm 27 [ http://iz3.me/V0VO1zwXd1A1 ]

In 1967, Charles Hummel published a booklet entitled Tyranny of the Urgent, in which he suggested a reason we're so overworked and disorganized. It's because of jumbled priorities. Hummel relates what an experienced factory manager once told him, "Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important."1

Watch This Week's TV Broadcast [ http://iz3.me/W0VO1zwXd1A1 ]

What are the important things in life? Our time with the Lord. Our families. The work only we can do as assigned to us by the Father. But how easily these true priorities are pushed aside by urgent demands each day! Let's reprioritize our priorities. The  Book of Common Prayer  suggests a prayer of confession that many of us need at the beginning of the year. Condensed, it says: "Almighty Father. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. Have mercy upon us. Grant, most merciful Father, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy name. Amen."

Our dilemma goes deeper than shortage of time; it is basically a problem of priorities... We have left undone those things which we ought to have done.
Charles E. Hummel

1 Charles E. Hummel,  Tyranny of the Urgent , Rev. ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1994), 4-5.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 36-41 [ http://iz3.me/X0VO1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Monday, January 13

Super... or Supernatural?

Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezra 7:10

Recommended Reading
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 [ http://iz3.me/SUXO1zwXd1A1 ]

When Herbert Chavez was growing up in the Philippines, he loved watching Superman on television, and as an adult he determined to become like his superhero. According to newspaper reports, Chavez has undergone many plastic surgeries, subjecting himself to at least nineteen procedures all designed to make him look like the Man of Steel.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/TUXO1zwXd1A1 ]

If a man can be that passionate about transforming himself into a comic book hero, surely we Christians can purpose in our hearts to become like the Lord Jesus Christ. We can be like Daniel, who purposed in his heart not to be defiled. We can be like Ezra, who prepared his heart to seek the Lord. We can be like Paul, who longed to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus. When we're yielded to the Lord, invested in His Word daily, obeying His commands, and seeking to share His message with others, we're becoming like Christ. It's the Holy Spirit who reproduces the character of Christ within us. That's not just a super life. It's a supernatural one.

God ... Please keep my eyes focused on the only target worth hitting -- Christlikeness!
Johnny Hunt, in  The One Year Devotional Prayer Book

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 42-43 [ http://iz3.me/UUXO1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, January 14

Preparation and Patience

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.
Hebrews 11:23

Recommended Reading
Exodus 2:1-10 [ http://iz3.me/AbgO1zwXd1A1 ]

How many times have we become fixated on something that is demanding a response, while ignoring something far more important that is less urgent? We need to plan our days so that we do not let the urgent things crowd out the important things. A similar perspective is to focus on the long view in life, not the short view.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/BbgO1zwXd1A1 ]

Moses was forced to take the long view of life. When God called him to free the Hebrew slaves he was eighty years old! Perhaps Moses finally began to understand the path his life had followed. His first forty years were spent being educated in the royal courts of Egypt. Most important in his education -- he knew Egypt and how Egyptian rulers thought. There was no better man on earth for God to use to confront the Egyptian pharaoh than Moses. Eighty years of preparation produced the redeemer the Hebrew slaves needed.

Jesus began His ministry around the age of thirty-perhaps the same for Paul. With God's calling comes a time of preparation, and preparation requires patience. Trust God today with His schedule for your life.

Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see.
Corrie ten Boom

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 44-46 [ http://iz3.me/CbgO1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, January 15

Success the Hard Way

So [ Moses ] looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Exodus 2:12

Recommended Reading
Deuteronomy 34:5-8  [ http://iz3.me/wxpO1zwXd1A1 ]

The title of Pastor Erwin W. Lutzer's 1975 book suggests a biblical approach to handling the failures we experience in life: Failure: The Backdoor to Success. If failure is the back door to success, that means failure really isn't a failure at all! Failure can be part of success.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/xxpO1zwXd1A1 ]

The Bible certainly does not hide the failures of its principle characters. Israel's national hero, Moses, experienced his fair share of failures both before and after being called by God. He had to flee Egypt because he murdered a soldier who was abusing a Hebrew soldier. That failure led him to a 40-year sojourn in Midian where he matured and met God. Though he argued with God about returning to Egypt, he eventually did -- though throughout the Hebrews' wilderness wanderings his temper and impulsivity got the better of him more than once. But to Moses' credit, he always rebounded from his failures and ultimately ended his life with God's blessing.

If you have failed in some way, take heart. Ask God to show you how to redeem the time and the circumstances. Ask Him to let "failure" be your backdoor to success.

The Lord Jesus does not cast off His believing people because of failures and imperfections.
J. C. Ryle

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Genesis 47-50 [ http://iz3.me/00qO1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, January 16

Another Gadget You Don't Need

My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes.
Psalm 119:48

Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:41-48 [ http://iz3.me/La0P1zwXd1A1 ]

Recently a Los Angeles street artist pranked retail giant Best Buy. He created empty boxes and snuck them into stores. The boxes looked like an official product with bar code, price, and label. But a closer look showed these words on the box: "Another Gadget You Don't Really Need." Discovering the prank, the stores removed the boxes immediately, but the media kept the story alive for days.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/Ma0P1zwXd1A1 ]

We often spend a lot of money for items whether we need them or not. Some possessions assume great value to us. Others we soon toss out. But the one item everyone should value above all else is the Word of God. The Scottish Christians of earlier days had a habit of never placing any object on top of the Scripture. They wanted their Bibles accessible, visible, displayed for testimony's sake, and available for use at any moment. Why not adopt the same habit? Keep a Bible always within an arm's reach -- at work, home, school, and while traveling -- so you can always lift up your hand to His commands and meditate on His statutes.

The Bible is not simply a guide for life, a collection of wise sayings and wonderful stories. It is both the meeting place and the instrument that brings you and God together.
Woodrow Kroll, in  How to Find God in the Bible

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Exodus 1-4 [ http://iz3.me/Na0P1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Friday, January 17

The Hacker

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3

Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:41-48 [ http://iz3.me/K3AP1zwXd1A1 ]

Last fall police in Argentina arrested a nineteen-year-old super-hacker who ran an elaborate cyber-fraud network. From a "technological cave" in his home, the teenager hacked into money transfer and gambling websites, skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars into his own account.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/L3AP1zwXd1A1 ]

No wonder we're worried about computer security. Hackers are everywhere. But the most notorious hacker in history is the devil himself, who tries to tamper with the marvelous computer system God has installed within us -- our brains. He tries to deceive us and corrupt our minds.

We need the security system of God's Word. The Bible says, "I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them" (Hebrews 10:16). Reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture are the security systems of the mind. Starting a Scripture memory program is as easy as finding a verse to learn and resolving to repeat it aloud, say, ten times when you get up and ten times at bedtime. Sounds like a simple plan, but try it for a few weeks. You'll be amazed how secure it helps you feel.

I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture.
Chuck Swindoll, in Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Exodus 5-7 [ http://iz3.me/M3AP1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, January 18 & 19

A New Year to Make Amends

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
James 5:16

Recommended Reading
James 5:13-20 [ http://iz3.me/N6HP1zwXd1A1 ]

In 1955, Joe Rota got a job as an elevator operator aboard the transatlantic ocean liner, the  SS United States.  On his first day at sea, the elevator door opened and in walked legendary actor Burt Lancaster with his two young sons. Without thinking, Rota shouted, "Burt!" The actor was visibly disturbed, protectively putting his arms around his boys. Rota realized his outburst had been inappropriate. Later when he saw Lancaster glance at the elevator and then head for the stairs, he followed him. "Mr. Lancaster, can I talk to you a moment?" he asked. He explained he was new on the job and had been surprised to see the actor. "I have to apologize," said Rota. Lancaster smiled and said, "That's perfectly all right. I understand. Take me up." From that point, the two were friends.1

Watch This Week's TV Broadcast [ http://iz3.me/O6HP1zwXd1A1 ]

Sometimes we inadvertently disturb someone. We say something we later realize was inappropriate. Determine here at the beginning of the year to make amends. A humble word of apology can heal a relationship as quickly as it was damaged.

Never ruin an apology with an excuse.
Benjamin Franklin

1Steven Ujifusa, A Man and His Ship (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012), 328.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Exodus 8-13 [ http://iz3.me/P6HP1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Monday, January 20

Sunlight Through Glass

This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Recommended Reading
Joshua 24:14-15 [ http://iz3.me/mcJP1zwXd1A1 ]

Writer F. W. Boreham told of taking lodgings in the home of Old Bessie, the widow of a local pastor. One morning he noticed some words etched into one of the windows: "This is the day!" At breakfast he asked Bessie about it.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/ncJP1zwXd1A1 ]

"I have had a lot of trouble in my time," she explained. "Each morning when I woke up I felt as though I had the weight of the world upon me. Then one day when I was very upset about things, I sat down and read ... the 118th Psalm. When I came to the 24th verse, I stopped. ... It flashed upon me like a burst of sunshine on a gloomy day." With a glass-cutting tool from the kitchen, Bessie etched the words on the windowpane -- This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

"There!" she thought. "Now I shall see that little bit of Bible there every morning when I draw up the blind."1

Even biblical characters as courageous as Joshua needed to learn to keep a good attitude despite circumstances. So did Old Bessie. So do we! Today rejoice! Be glad in Him.

If the church is to impress the world with the deathless hope of the everlasting Gospel, she must be animated by that hope herself.
F. W. Boreham

1 F. W. Boreham, Shadows on the Wall (New York: Abingdon Press, 1922), 68-70.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Exodus 14-16 [ http://iz3.me/ocJP1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, January 21

God With You

As I [ God ] was with Moses, so I will be with you [ Joshua ]. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua 1:5

Recommended Reading
Hebrews 13:5-6 [ http://iz3.me/23OP1zwXd1A1 ]

When a mother decided her little boy was old enough to begin walking the few blocks to his school by himself, it was a major step. Nervous for the first few days, the little guy nonetheless made it to school and home safely the whole year. It wasn't until years later that the mother told her now teenaged son that she had followed behind him, out of sight, every day for that first year to make sure he made it to school safely. He had been nervous and a little afraid to walk by himself, but he shouldn't have been. The one who loved him the most was always with him.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/33OP1zwXd1A1 ]

When Joshua filled Moses' sandals as the new leader of Israel, he was no doubt nervous and a little afraid, too. He remembered the giants in Canaan that the spies had reported decades before (Numbers 13:31-33). So God made a promise to Joshua: "I was with Moses. You are taking Moses' place. So I will be with you as well." Part of God's covenant promise to Israel was to be with them and make them successful. And Jesus affirms that same promise to His followers: "And lo, I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20).

As you go about God's work today, remember: He is with you (Mark 16:20).

Anxious care is out of place in a heavenly Father's presence.
Kenneth Wuest

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Exodus 17-20 [ http://iz3.me/43OP1zwXd1A1 ]

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, January 22

Fruit Inspection

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Recommended Reading
Matthew 7:15-20 [ http://iz3.me/XcWP1zwXd1A1 ]

One of the first things very young children learn is to identify various kinds of fruit -- through pictures in a book as well as the actual fruit. The next step is to transfer the knowledge of the fruit to the tree that bears it: apples grow on apple trees and oranges grow on orange trees. The lesson for children? You can tell a tree by its fruit.

Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/acWP1zwXd1A1 ]

Jesus used that simple connection to make a powerful spiritual application. When warning His followers about false prophets He said, "You will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16, 20). He went on to explain, "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." In fact, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit" (verses17-18). So if the spiritual fruit coming from a person is bad, it is a clear indication of the nature of the tree that bears the fruit. Fortunately, we have examples of the kind of good fruit produced by the Holy Spirit -- a standard for spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus' teaching and Paul's list cause us to examine ourselves and ask: What kind of fruit are we bearing? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Fruit is evidence of the root.
John Blanchard

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Exodus 21-23 [ http://iz3.me/bcWP1zwXd1A1 ]