Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, May 3

Spiritual Multiplication

  And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
  2 Timothy 2:2

    Recommended Reading
Ephesians 4:11-16 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204:11-16&version=NKJV )

Mentoring is the new buzz word among academicians. What society has learned is that preparing students for real life beyond the classroom is powerfully fostered in one-on-one relationships. In the Christian world, we use the word "discipleship" to describe the individual model of instruction and companionship to mature believers in Christ.

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

Mentoring and discipleship don't just happen--a vision must be set to guide and direct those in our care. Paul embraced his discipleship role in Timothy's life, providing counsel and encouragement as Timothy grew in his faith and leadership role in the early church. Moses discipled Joshua for many years before passing the mantel of Israel's leadership to him. Ruth and Naomi's relationship provides a poignant model for how spiritual ties can strengthen family bonds. Jesus Himself is our ultimate example of 24/7 discipleship as He taught His disciples how they should live.

Are you a wise steward of your time with others? Discipleship impacts a church, a community, a nation, and an entire world--one life at a time.

  The great thing is to be found at one's post as a child of God, living each day as though it were our last, but planning as though our world might last a hundred years.
  C. S. Lewis

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 4:1-7:22 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%204:1-7:22&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, May 4

Preparing for the Ultimate Test

  "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
  Luke 22:42

    Recommended Reading
Daniel 3:16-18 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%203:16-18&version=NKJV )

The most famous and dramatic record of Christian martyrdom is  Actes and Monuments of these Latter and Perillous Days, Touching Matters of the Church , by John Foxe--commonly referred to as Foxe's  Book of Martyrs , first published in 1563. While the book has gone through many revisions through the years, it remains the most illustrative record of Christians who faithfully gave up their lives for the sake of Christ.

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

How would the average Christian today respond to this choice: Deny your faith in Christ or face burning, beheading, boiling in oil, being hung, drawn and quartered, death by torture, or any combination of such acts? Is it possible to remain faithful to Christ in the face of the most horrendous outcome? That was the question facing Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane when He contemplated His approaching death. And His response was the only reasonable one for a Christian: "Not My will, but Yours, be done."

Today's faith is proven by tomorrow's tests. Make Jesus' prayer your prayer for today--and for whatever tomorrow may bring.

  The way to grow strong in Christ is to become weak in yourself.
  Oswald Chambers

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 8:1–11:23 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%208:1 )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, May 5 & 6

   Dear Moms: Moses' Mother

  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 2:1-4 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%202:1-4&version=NKJV )

Experienced hikers in the wild know better than to come between a mother bear and her cubs. And the same goes for mother lions, elephants, and other beasts on the plains of Africa. But it could also have been said about a Hebrew mother among the captive slaves in Egypt.

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When Pharaoh ordered that Hebrew newborn males were to be killed, he didn't count on the resourcefulness of one Hebrew mother. This mother took her baby boy and hid him in a basket in the river Nile where he was found and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh. That's right--we're talking about the mother of Moses (and Aaron and Miriam, Moses' brother and sister). The Bible says she knew there was something special about this boy, and she was "not afraid of [Pharaoh's] command." Pharaoh's first mistake was trying to come between the mother of Moses and her baby!

Today is a good day to thank God for mothers who fight for their children's lives when they are threatened.

  There is more power in a mother's hand than in a King's scepter.
  Billy Sunday

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 12:1-20:37 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2012:1-20:37&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, May 7

What God Puts in Our Hearts

  I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do...
  Nehemiah 2:12

    Recommended Reading
Nehemiah 2:11-18 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%202:11-18&version=NKJV )

In the book that bears his name, Nehemiah relates his burden for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The moment he heard of the distress of his city, he began praying, fasting, and seeking God's will (Nehemiah 1:4). His concern deepened until King Artaxerxes noticed it on his face (2:2). Traveling to Jerusalem, Nehemiah surveyed the ruined walls and devised a plan for their rebuilding. At first, he told no one what God had put in his heart to do. But at the right moment he revealed his plan, mobilized the people, and persevered till the work was done.

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

Have you seen a need? Have you prayed for a burden? Our work for Him isn't a personal ambition we seek. It's a vision He places on our hearts--perhaps to become involved in orphan care, to minister to the homeless, to work with nursery children or evangelize the lost, to plan a missions trip.

What has God put in your heart to do? What's the next step? What can you do today to make your vision a reality?

  It's a terrible thing to see and have no vision.
  Helen Keller

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 21:1-24:27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2021:1-24:27&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, May 8

Fresh Fire

  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
  Acts 2:17

    Recommended Reading
Joel 2:28-32 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joel%202:28-32&version=NKJV )

In his book,  Ten Steps Ahead , Erik Calonius defines vision as "that laser beam of foresight that pierces all obstacles: Pasteur, arguing for the existence of microbes. Churchill, calling for fortitude in the face of apparently insurmountable odds."1

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

Vision is a clear mental image of a preferable future. For Christians, vision comes from Him who has a plan for our lives. We're never too young or old to have a fresh vision of His will for us. In the future, the Bible says both young and old men will dream and give birth to visions. We mustn't rest on our memories; we must be driven by fresh fire.

God-given vision provides a goal for life. It's a badge of purpose. It produces emotion we otherwise wouldn't have. It gives hope for the future and a sense of direction. Before we can have mission, we need vision. Ask God to give you a new stimulus, a burden, an inner conviction for His plan for tomorrow, whatever your age. You are of great use to Him.

  Old age does not exempt us from fulfilling our purposes in life.
  Billy Graham

  1Erik Calonius,  Ten Steps Ahead  (NY: Penguin, 2011), ch 1.

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 25:1-28:27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2025:1-28:27&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, May 9

A Covenant Forever
  And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
  Genesis 17:7

    Recommended Reading
Jeremiah 31:35-37 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2031:35-37&version=NKJV )

Covenants in the Old Testament were made vertically (between God and man) and horizontally (between various human parties). In the ancient Near East, a covenant was a powerful document that could change the course of history. To break a covenant was considered the extreme act of disloyalty. Humans would make, and break, covenants. But there is no record of God breaking a covenant.

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

Some covenants were conditional ("I will if you will") and others were unconditional ("I will"). The covenant God made with Abraham was unconditional: "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants..." The Abrahamic Covenant that God made is unusual in that it applies not only to Abraham but to his descendants for all time: "for an everlasting covenant." That means God's plan and purpose for Abraham and His descendants is as true today as it was the day it was made.

Looking at Israel today is like looking at no other nation on earth. Israel is a nation in a perpetual, unconditional covenant with God.

  God promises to keep His people, and He will keep His promises.
  C. H. Spurgeon

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 29:1-31:21 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2029:1-31:21&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, May 10

A Guide for the Nations
  "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
  Genesis 12:3

    Recommended Reading
Acts 3:22-25 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%203:22-25&version=NKJV )

Suppose the leaders of a nation came to you for advice and asked, "Does the Bible give any guidance on how a nation might enjoy the blessings of God? Also, what is the most important thing we should  not  do that might impact the blessing of God on our nation?" How would you answer?

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

The answer to both questions is the same: How you relate to Israel. How a nation treats God's chosen people, the nation of Israel, is a benchmark for how God treats that nation. When God established His covenant with Abraham, He promised that Abraham's descendants would be a blessing to the world. And because Israel was to be a channel for God's blessings to the world, the nations of the world have a responsibility to be a blessing to Israel. God's promise to Abraham was that He would bless the nations that bless Israel and curse the nations that curse Israel.

That promise was fulfilled among the Old Testament nations and there is no reason to think it is not still in force. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love [her]'" (Psalm 122:6).

  There is a living God; He has spoken in the Bible. He means what He says and will do all He has promised.
  Hudson Taylor

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 32:1-34:33 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2032:1-34:33&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, May 11

Seeing Around the Bend

  And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.
  Deuteronomy 31:8

    Recommended Reading
Psalm 139:5-12 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139:5-12&version=NKJV )

You've taken a wrong turn while driving at night through a mountainous area. There are no lights on the narrow road that is winding around the sides of mountains as you see to find your way. Every time you slowly approach another sharp bend in the road, your headlights shine straight ahead into the dark. The road bends, but your headlights don't. You can see what's on this side of the bend but the far side, around the curve, is dark and unknown.

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

That's how we often feel when we approach bends in the road of life. And it surely must be how Moses and Joshua felt as they prepared to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land. On their side of the Jordan River, they could see clearly, but the Canaan side was dark and unknown. That's when Moses told the people not to fear, that God would be with them, that He would never leave them or forsake them. And God later told Joshua the same thing (Joshua 1:5).

If your knowledge of the future only goes so far, and you are approaching a sharp curve, know that God is with you now and will be with you on the other side.

  Saving faith is resting faith, the trust which relies entirely on the Savior.
  John R. W. Stott

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Chronicles 35:1–Ezra 2:70 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2035:1 )
 

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, May 12 & 13

   Dear Moms: Hannah

  Then [Hannah] made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life..."
  1 Samuel 1:11

    Recommended Reading
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%201:1-2:21&version=NKJV )

It is not unusual today, in the case of an unplanned pregnancy, for a mother to honor the life of the child by carrying it to term and then giving it up for adoption. But the bond between mother and child is so powerful that it is sometimes difficult for the mother to let her child go--understandably so.

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Hannah was a Hebrew mother who faced that difficult choice. Childless throughout her marriage, she pleaded with the Lord to grant fruitfulness to her womb by giving her a son. She promised that she would give up that son to serve the Lord all his days. The Lord heard her prayer and allowed her to conceive and bear a son whom she named Samuel--the child who would become the great and faithful prophet in Israel. It was no doubt difficult for Hannah to give her son to Eli, the priest, but she kept her vow to the Lord.

Give thanks to God today for mothers whose love for God is even deeper and stronger than their love for their own children.

  You have omitted to mention the greatest of my teachers--my mother.
  Winston Churchill

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Ezra 3:1–9:15 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra%203:1 )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, May 14

When Through Fiery Trials...

  No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
  Hebrews 12:11

    Recommended Reading
Hebrews 12:7-11 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:7-11&version=NKJV )

The nineteenth-century Dutch Reformed pastor James D. DeMarest once preached a sermon on trials and tribulations. He said, "Now I see that those things which so perplexed and tried me led to my greatest blessings. I could not then see the hand of the Lord in His dealings with me, but I see it plainly now. In that painful dispensation, in that sickness, in that trouble of mind, in that agony of soul, that distressed path, how plainly do I see now that the Lord's hand was leading me!"

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

Sometimes we're chastened by the trials and troubles of life. Jesus said we'd have tribulation in this world, and every hero of the Scripture endured times of pressure and pain. Aren't we driven closer to the Lord when faith is exercised during trials?

Don't be discouraged today. He says: "The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

  If we could believe that every temptation we were passing through was intended by our merciful God for our special good, it would take off half the burden.
  James D. DeMarest

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Ezra 10:1-Nehemiah 2:20 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra%2010:1-Nehemiah%202:20&version=NKJV )