Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, September 7

In His Time

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.
Psalm 37:7

Recommended Reading
Galatians 6:10-18


We've often heard that it is wise to live within our means. But today financial advisors everywhere are saying this is no longer good enough--we need to live below our means. According to a recent study on the phrase, "Good things come to those who wait," people are making great strides. They are willing to pass up the immediate, smaller reward to wait for the bigger, more satisfying one.

As Christians, many of us are willing to pass on the immediate "thank you" for our service if we could just see people's lives changed as they come to know Christ. So the days, months, and even years pass without seeing any fruit from our efforts. And the truth is, as discouraged as we may become, we have to remember that God times the harvest, and we will reap in due season if we do not lose heart. And what, at times, seems futile here on earth is used by our Father. He sees our acts of service, He knows the intentions of our heart, and He will reap the harvest...in His perfect time.

God aims to exalt Himself by working for those who wait for Him.
John Piper

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Amos 6:1-Obadiah 1:1-21
           

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, September 8

It's Complicated

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

Recommended Reading
Colossians 2:20-23


If you have any young contacts on your social media accounts, you've probably seen the phrase "it's complicated" used to describe their relationships. And relationships certainly aren't the only things more problematic these days. Our careers, our finances, and even our churches are being added to the list. It's almost like we find meaning and significance by making our lives more complex--overlooking the simple solutions that are right within our grasp.

Our most effortless solution to all of life's obstacles is Christ. He alone can set us free if we allow Him to be Lord of our life. And there is no need for us to busy ourselves by complicating His gift with rules or standards to earn our salvation. That thinking eliminates the necessity of the Cross.

Christ paid the penalty for all our sins, while we were sinners, to give us the gift of eternal life. It's that simple! So, with all the complications we face today, we can find refuge in that truth--resting in God's undeserved grace.

If any man ascribes anything of salvation, even the very least thing, to the free will of man, he knows nothing of grace, and he has not learned Jesus Christ rightly.
Martin Luther

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Jonah 1:1-Micah 3:12

[Judy Harder]

Friday, September 9

The "Noble" Peace Prize

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1

Recommended Reading
Romans 5:1-8


The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in recognition of "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China."1 Though still incarcerated by his government, Xiaobo advocates peaceful political change as he opposes the ruling Chinese Communist Party's monopoly on power. Peace. It's a universal quality man longs for, yet eludes many.

The apostle Paul could be a Nobel Peace Prize winner in the New Testament. Fighting against legalists who sought to imprison new believers with useless laws and regulations, Paul forcefully expounded his noble Christian-rights mission of peace and mercy.

As you seek peace, get rid of the external trappings in your life and ask the simple question: Is Christ in me? Putting your faith in Christ releases you from rules and rituals and allows you to walk in the freedom and newness that He gives. Believers are empowered by the Author of peace to be ambassadors of peace. Is there someone you know who is longing for peace?

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
C. S. Lewis

1nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2010/press.html (accessed 5/13/2011).

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Micah 4:1-Nahum 3:19



Weekend, September 10 & 11

Revive Us Again: The Second Great Awakening

I dwell...with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 57:15

Recommended Reading
Isaiah 57:15-21


After the War of Independence, the influence of Christianity waned. According to historian J. Edwin Orr, "In the wake of the American Revolution came a disastrous setback for Evangelical Christianity." The typical student at Harvard was atheist, says Orr. "Students of Williams College conducted a mock celebration of Holy Communion. When the Dean of Princeton opened the chapel Bible to read, a pack of playing cards fell out... Christians were so unpopular that they met in secret and kept their minutes in code. The radical leader of deist students led a mob in burning the Bible.... The last two decades of the eighteenth century were the darkest period, spiritually and morally, in the history of American Christianity."1

Then God sent another revival--the Second Great Awakening. It swept over the frontier, turned Ivy League schools upside down, and launched a new generation into global ministry. It's true to say that the Western world is only now shaking off the effects of the Second Great Awakening.

Lord, do it again!

We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.
G. Campbell Morgan

1J. Edwin Orr, Campus Aflame (Glendale: G/L Publications, 1971), 19.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Habakkuk 1:1-Zephaniah 3:20
Haggai 1:1-Zechariah 4:14

[Judy Harder]

Turning Point now on Lifetime


I am thrilled to announce a brand new outreach opportunity!

In addition to the many stations and networks where Turning Point Television is already airing, Turning Point can now be seen on Lifetime TV Sunday mornings at 6:30 a.m. (Eastern and Pacific).

I believe this is the Lord's timing as on September 11th we will be introducing a dramatic mini-series, The Account. Set in the early 1960s, a New York ad agency lands a mysterious, powerful client who enlists the agency to embark on a marketing strategy to attack one social issue after another. This dramatic hook will prepare viewers for the content of my new teaching series, I Never Thought I'd See the Day! which begins Sunday, September 18th.

I Never Thought I'd See the Day! examines the dramatic cultural and social changes of the past few years from a biblical perspective, how these changes have contributed to the deteriorating moral and spiritual climate Americans find themselves in today, and what Christians can do to reverse society's treacherous slide.

This new opportunity to deliver God's Word around the world on Lifetime TV is very exciting. I am praying that the Lord will use these telecasts to reach many.

Find us and tune in beginning Sunday, September 11th at 6:30 a.m. (Eastern and Pacific). You can also visit our station locator tool to find program information in your area.

Thank you for being a part of the Turning Point family. Please pray with me as we take this tremendous step of faith in an effort to fulfill our ongoing mission of Delivering the Unchanging Word of God to an Ever-Changing World.

God bless you,
David Jeremiah
 

[Judy Harder]

Monday, September 12

Blossom With Revival

The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
Isaiah 35:1

Recommended Reading
Exodus 19:16-19


Have you ever prayed for revival? Not just a meaningful service at church, but a life-altering experience that radically transforms you? Literally hundreds of thousands of lives have been touched through the centuries by revivals. Starting with the terrible realization of sin, revivals renew entire communities by the extraordinary impact of God's Spirit.

Understanding the word "revival"--the picture of a flower that blooms again after its season or lives again--helps us understand the first revival in history. In the middle of a stark desert, revival broke out. The nation Israel was God's flower who had just left 400 years of slavery, miraculously walking across the Red Sea to stand in front of Mount Sinai. Ground quaking beneath her, lightning flashing above her, thunder resounding around her, Israel listened to the voice of God, and the nation blossomed again in her freedom. What an awesome experience!

Don't wait for revival in your church or community. Start with your personal life. Grieve over your sin. Repent and resolve to obey the will of God in every detail of your life. From your daytime planner to your relationships, become truly passionate about broadening the reach of your faith. Blossom with revival!

Revival is not just an emotional touch, but a complete takeover!
Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Zechariah 5:1-9:17

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, September 13

A Worthy Focus

...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith....
Hebrews 12:2a

Recommended Reading
Hebrews 12:1-2


It's hard to believe the average attention span can be as short as eight seconds. If someone's cell phone rings, we hear it, but then move our attention quickly on. When it comes to sustained attention--staying on task to accomplish goals--most people stay focused for about 20 minutes. We can then choose to repeatedly refocus on that same task. So with scores of distractions in our busy schedules, how do we stay focused on God?

One way is by learning to handle our emotions, because spiritual commitments are often made in emotional settings. Church camps and retreats stir us to repent and set spiritual goals. But soon after, we can get distracted by our daily routine and responsibilities and forget those goals. Commitments often last about as long as the Israelites waited for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai. Tragically, after forty days of waiting, the people's emotional excitement waned once they heard God's voice, and they asked for a god they could see (Exodus 32:1).

Let's not be "out of sight, out of mind" Christians. Continually refocus on God by spending time daily in His Word and prayer. It's a focus worth repeating!

If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction.
Oswald Chambers

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Zechariah 10:1-14:21

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, September 14

Stick to It!

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:16b

Recommended Reading
Exodus 32:7-14


If you need a reminder, do you use a Post-it? Spencer Silver was researching adhesives in the 3M laboratories in 1970, but he wasn't able to develop one strong enough--so he shelved his weak adhesive. Four years later another 3M scientist, Arthur Fry, was singing in his church choir trying to keep his place in the hymnal, but his markers kept falling out. Thankfully, he remembered Silver's adhesive. Fry coated his markers with the weak adhesive; the markers stayed in place and didn't damage the hymnal. Post-its have been marking pages and serving as reminders ever since.

Remembering details can be tough. But why is it so hard to remember to pray? Often we approach prayer as a last resort, when in actuality prayer is the most powerful force God has given His children. Spiritual renewal depends on prayer, and the fervent prayer of one person can start a revival. Moses prayed for the nation of Israel after they turned from God and worshipped the golden calf at Sinai (Exodus 32:11). It was his prayer that restored the nation.

The most important thing a believer can remember to do is pray. So stick to it! And the next time you see a Post-it, remember to pray!

Hurry is the death of prayer.
Samuel Chadwick

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Malachi 1:1-Matthew 1:25

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, September 15

Feeling Icky?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins....
1 John 1:9

Recommended Reading
1 John 1:8-10


Though his bedtime had long passed, the five-year-old boy hollered for his mother: "I have an icky feeling inside!" The tired mother trudged up the stairs to her son's bedroom. Opening the door, she heard a long list of 5-year-old sins spill out of her child's troubled soul. They had talked about sin before, but this time the boy understood what sin felt like--icky.

Do you ever get that icky feeling? Or maybe you've gotten so used to it that you hardly notice anymore. Throughout history when sin was recognized, revival took place. Moses needed to remove sin from the Israelite's camp near Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). The revival only days earlier had radically changed into outright rebellion. Gross sin was present, and many of the Israelites were not convicted. It took the slaying of three thousand men to purge the sin that had entered their camp.

The heaviness of sin weighs us down and keeps us from being used by the Lord to our fullest potential. Repentance is needed. Confess your sin now, and ask God to bring renewal to your heart and your sphere of influence.

It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us.
C. S. Lewis

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 2:1-5:26

[Judy Harder]

The attack of atheist activism - The battle to save our culture
     
Culture Threat#2: The Attack of Atheist Activism


Atheists have become emboldened nonbelievers who are angry and proactive and determined to intimidate believers in God. The most angry among them are preaching their anti-God religion with fiery evangelistic zeal.

But, how can people be so angry with God if they do not even believe in His existence?

Today's vocal crop of atheists has ramped up the volume, if not the substance, of the modern attack on religion we see going on all around us. We've always had atheists, and we always will until the Lord comes again. But the shrill scream of today's atheists is nothing like the more respectful opposition to belief we've seen in the past.

I never thought I'd see the day when atheists would so openly and viciously attack us, abandoning rational argument and descending into toxic vitriol and groundless accusations. But that day has come!

We must defend our faith with fervor and grace so the New Atheism does not silence the voice of Christianity in our culture.

What you can do:

Prepare:

Be a student of the Word.
Know how to defend your faith.
Be knowledgeable about the New Atheism.
Read Chapter One of I Never Thought I'd See the Day! that examines the threat of the New Atheism and how you can respond.
Pray:

Ask God to illuminate His Word in your life and in the lives of others.
Pray for the salvation of those who deny God.
Pray for Turning Point as we broadcast this simple but powerful message to reach our culture - even to the angry atheists who need Christ's transforming love.
Participate:

Get involved in freedom for faith decisions in your community.
Be under the teaching of the Word in church each week!
Listen and watch I Never Thought I'd See the Day! on Turning Point Television and Radio.
I want to help you know what God's Word says about the cultural and spiritual changes impacting America and the Church today and also how to live faithfully in the midst of them.


God bless you,



David Jeremiah
 

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, September 17 & 18

Revive Us Again: The Fulton Street Revival

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.
Psalm 119:37

Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:37-40


Jeremiah C. Lanphier, a layman in New York City, longed for revival. After careful thought, he announced that a prayer service would be held September 23, 1857, at the Old Dutch Church on Fulton Street. When the hour came, Lanphier found himself alone. He sat and waited and finally a handful of people gathered. The next week, twenty came. Someone suggested the meetings occur daily, and soon the building was overflowing. Other churches opened their doors. The revival spread to other cities. Offices and stores closed for prayer at noon. Newspapers reported the story, and telegraph companies set aside certain hours when businessmen could wire one another with news of the revival.

The revival--sometimes called "The Third Great Awakening"--lasted nearly two years, and perhaps a million people were converted to Christ. Out of it came the largest outlay of money for philanthropic and Christian causes America had yet experienced.

Revival is often born in prayer and borne along by prayer. Let's keep praying for God to revive us again!

Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again.
Vance Havner

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Matthew 8:1-9:38
Matthew 10:1-12:14