Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, May 15

The Storm Ends at 4:39

  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"
  Mark 4:39a

    Recommended Reading
Mark 4:35-41 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:35-41&version=NKJV )

Do you remember Hurricane John? It formed in the Pacific in 1994 and set a world record as the longest-lasting and farthest-traveling hurricane in recorded history. It was also one of the strongest hurricanes to have ever swept across the sea. It lasted a full month--31 days--and traveled from the eastern Pacific to the western Pacific and back to the central Pacific. Fortunately it remained mostly at sea, so damage was minimal despite the duration of the storm, but it broke records everywhere it went.

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

Some storms seem to go on forever. A health crisis, a job disruption, a damaged relationship, a tough period at church. For the disciples, the storm lasted far too long. They feared death by drowning while their Lord slept peacefully in the stern. But Jesus knew the exact time to say, "Peace, be still." It was just at 4:39--Mark 4:39. At that moment, the winds ceased, and there was a great calm.

Let's learn to weather the storm by faith in Him. Our times are in His hands, and in His timing He will say, "Peace, be still!"

  No waters can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean, and earth, and skies.
  Mary A. Baker

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Nehemiah 3:1-6:19 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%203:1-6:19&version=NKJV )

:angel:4

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, May 16

A Verse in Three Dimensions

  Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!
  Psalm 68:19

    Recommended Reading
Psalm 68:19-20 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2068:19-20&version=NKJV )

If you've ever been hiking, you know those backpacks can get mighty heavy after a while. Packed with supplies (or books if you're a student), backpacks can make our shoulders ache and our back hurt. But step onto a bus or into a taxi and, oh, the relief of letting the burden slip from your shoulders as it's carried by the same vehicle that is carrying you. We still have our backpacks. We've not lost our burden. But now someone or something else is bearing it.

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

The  New International Version  renders Psalm 68:19, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

The  English Standard Version  puts it a little differently: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation."

And the  New King James Version  says: "Blessed  be  the Lord, Who daily loads us  with benefits, the God of our salvation! "

Which translation is best? Why not choose all of them and praise our Savior who daily bears our burdens, bears us up, and loads us with benefits.

  What a glorious Lord! He who daily bears our burdens also gives us our salvation.
  Bill Bright

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Nehemiah 7:1-8:18 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%207:1-8:18&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, May 17

These Kids Need Jesus

  They were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God in me.
  Galatians 1:23-24

    Recommended Reading
Galatians 1:13-24 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201:13-24&version=NKJV )

During the hippy movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pastor Chuck Smith of Costa Mesa, California, initially thought the dropouts and drug addicts just needed to cut their hair and get a job. But his wife grew burdened for their spiritual condition. Seeing them wandering aimlessly on the streets, she said, "Honey, these kids need Jesus." Eventually a longhaired kid with a beard and bells on his cuffs ended up at the Smith's home, where he stayed a month, and that started a new ministry for Smith, his family, and church. It could be marked as the beginning of the "Jesus Movement." Eventually thousands of young people came to the Lord, and from them a new era of praise and worship music was launched that is still affecting the church today.1

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

When God opens an opportunity to serve Him, it might start with just one person. Don't miss that opportunity, and don't underestimate how God can multiply your efforts through that one for whom He gives you a burden.

  The only thing that is secure and stable in this world is our faith in Jesus Christ. It is causing a real renewal.
  Chuck Smith

  1Karen Jones, "Retro-Modern Pastoring," in  Bible Study Magazine .

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Nehemiah 9:1-10:39 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%209:1-10:39&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, May 18

Opportunities

  Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord.
  2 Corinthians 2:12

    Recommended Reading
Acts 16:6-10 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2016:6-10&version=NKJV )

In ancient harbors, ships often had to wait for the incoming tide to raise the water level sufficiently to allow them to sail in. The Latin phrase  ob portu  (against the port) described a waiting ship's position just outside the harbor. The English word  opportunity  derives from the phrase  ob portu  to describe when one prepares and waits for just the right moment to act.

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

Those who seem to have the most opportunities in life make opportunities instead of waiting for them to happen. The apostle Paul was the kind of person who looked for every opportunity to preach the Gospel. If a door closed and the opportunity vanished, he assumed it was God who closed the door and that another would open. On one occasion in Asia Minor, two doors closed in succession followed by a third that opened. Instead of bemoaning the two missed opportunities, Paul took the third, "concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them" (Acts 16:10).

There is no such thing as luck or coincidence in the Christian life. If God is in control of everything, then what appears to be luck or coincidence is really an opportunity provided by God.

  An obstacle is often an unrecognized opportunity.
  Unknown

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Nehemiah 11:1-12:47 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%2011:1-12:47&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, May 19 & 20

   Dear Moms: Elizabeth

  "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
  Luke 1:45

    Recommended Reading
Luke 1:5–80 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:5 )

Parents are often excited when their children announce a calling from the Lord to full-time ministry--until they learn that calling involves living half a world away on the mission field, or ministering in a dangerous inner-city setting, or reaching out to young people involved in alternative lifestyles.

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Elizabeth was a mother who knew before her son was born that he was going to be "different." The angel Gabriel told Elizabeth's husband, Zacharias, that their son--to be named John--would live a Nazirite lifestyle (Numbers 6:1-21) and minister "in the spirit and power of Elijah . . . to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17). If anything, Elijah was known as a radical in the eyes of the world. And that's what Elizabeth could expect as her son, John, went out to prepare the way for the coming of his cousin, the Messiah, Jesus. And sure enough, "the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts" (Luke 1:80), dressed in camel's hair and eating locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6).

Thank God today for mothers who are willing to let their children fulfill their calling from the Lord.

  No man is poor who has had a godly mother.
  Abraham Lincoln

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Nehemiah 13:1-Esther 10:3 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%2013:1-Esther%2010:3&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Monday, May 21

Minor Country--Major Role

  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD...
  Psalm 33:12

    Recommended Reading
Proverbs 14:34 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2014:34&version=NKJV )

Based on our present spiritual temperature, we may forget that America has been the force behind world missions. Incredible that a country with 5 percent of the world's population has launched 75 percent of the missionaries of the last century and has provided approximately the same amount of money and material aid.1

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

As believers look to the future and witness prophetic events unfolding, it's natural to wonder about the fate of one's own country. As an American, I find it interesting to study the sovereignty of God in the founding of America. Although the Bible makes no direct references to God's plan for America, He has distinctly used it in His redemptive purposes as a launching pad for spreading the Gospel to the world.

What's America's role in the prophetic future? The Bible is silent. God's Word and our future are not to be approached as simply an international message, but as an individual message. Salvation offers a future hope to each and every one of us.

How can we keep silent?

  The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth that God governs in the affairs of men.
  Benjamin Franklin

  1John F. Walvoord, "America and the Cause of World Missions,"  America in History and Bible Prophecy , Thomas McCall, ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1976), 21.
  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Job 1:1-5:27 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%201:1-5:27&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, May 22

The Guiding Hand

  But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
  Psalm 115:3

    Recommended Reading
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2029:11-12&version=NKJV )

Have you ever played chess? Each player controls sixteen pieces--a king, queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The two-player war ensues and the pieces are eventually checked out. This popular game can be a helpful reminder of God's sovereignty over our lives. Sometimes we mistakenly believe that electing a particular president, for instance, will change the tide of world events. But in reality, there's only one hand that guides the course of world affairs.

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

As king over the nation of Israel, David understood God's sovereignty. In his last official words to his son and nation, David unequivocally proclaimed that everything belongs to God (1 Chronicles 29:11-13). Reviewing the major events in his life, David acknowledged the hand of God with His people. "We are aliens and pilgrims before You..." (verse 15), David declared. Simply subjects in Almighty God's hand.

Do you ever cling to an earthly leader, hoping their presence will somehow transform your existence? Cling to God instead--the One who made you and guides your life with His hand.

  This is the essence of God's sovereignty; His absolute independence to do as He pleases and His absolute control over the actions of all His creatures.
  Jerry Bridges

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Job 6:1-9:35 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%206:1-9:35&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, May 23

Choosing Change

  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
Ruth 1:16-17 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%201:16-17&version=NKJV )

Do you like change? Some people dread the very word. Change can be as life-altering as a job relocation. Or it can be as simple as someone sitting in "your" seat at church or your grocery store rearranging its aisles. But even creatures of habit must admit that some changes are beneficial and, in fact, life changing.

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One of the most unassuming characters in Scripture is a heroine who radically changed the course of her life, impacting the Davidic messianic line. Widowed at a young age, Ruth could have returned to the protection of her mother's family. But Ruth didn't pick the easy way. Facing enormous obstacles, this brave Gentile woman committed to a big change: "Your people  shall be  my people, and your God, my God" (Ruth 1:16). By embracing change, Ruth was blessed far beyond what her finite mind could have imagined. Her son would be part of the messianic lineage.

Are you resisting the opportunity to make a positive change in your life? Perhaps mentally you've drawn boundaries around your comfort zone and you're crying, "No!" Step up to the challenge of change. The ramifications of God's kind of change can impact us beyond our wildest dreams.

  Courage is the strength or choice to begin a change. Determination is the persistence to continue that change.
  Author Unknown

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Job 10:1-13:28 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2010:1-13:28&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, May 24

Recipe for Godliness

  ...exercise yourself toward godliness.
  1 Timothy 4:7

    Recommended Reading
Philippians 3:12-14 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:12-14&version=NKJV )

One old recipe for rabbit began with this injunction: "First catch the rabbit." The writer knew how to put first things first. That's what we do when we establish priorities--we put the things that should be in first place in their proper order.1

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Stephen R. Covey, author of  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , points out: "Keep in mind that you are always saying 'no' to something. If it isn't to the apparent, urgent things in your life, it is probably to the more fundamental, highly important things. Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep you from your best... The way you spend your time is a result of the way you see your time and the way you really see your priorities" (pages 157-158).

Does the recipe for your day begin with spending time in God's Word? Or do you pass over that priority as "urgent" matters crowd your schedule? God's injunction for your day is: Exercise yourself in godliness. Open your Bible and get started!

  Do not have your concert first and tune your instruments afterward. Begin the day with God.
  Hudson Taylor

  1Haddon Robinson, sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/priorities.htm accessed 1/16/12.

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Job 14:1-16:22 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2014:1-16:22&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, May 25

When You Pray

  "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
  Matthew 6:6

    Recommended Reading
Luke 11:1-13 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2011:1-13&version=NKJV )

Perhaps no two small words carry such huge implications as the words "if" and "when." And we often mix them incorrectly. "If" carries with it a sense of contingency or uncertainty, while "when" conveys the opposite--a definite sense of certainty. We often hear people say, "It's not a case of  if , but  when ."
  Listen to Today's Radio Message ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx?tid=email_listenedevo )

As Jesus taught the disciples about prayer, He did not use the word "if" as in, " If  you pray"--as if it were possible that the disciples might not pray. Instead, He said, "And  when  you pray... But you,  when  you pray... And  when  you pray..." (Matthew 6:5-7). And concerning needs the disciples had, He didn't say, "Whatever things you ask  if  you pray," but " when  you pray" (Mark 11:24). It was as if Jesus assumed the disciples would be continually about the activity of prayer. Nowhere is that better captured than in the introduction to the model prayer (the "Lord's Prayer") He taught them: "So He said to them, ' When  you pray, say: "Our Father in heaven . . .'" (Luke 11:2).

Our goal should be to use "when," not "if," in referring to our prayer life.

  Mature faith does not live by answers to prayer, but by prayer.
  R. E. O. White

  Read-Thru-the-Bible
Job 17:1–20:29 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2017:1%E2%80%9320:29&version=NKJV )