Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, November 27

Mercy and Praise

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33

Recommended Reading
Psalm 136 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20136&version=NKJV )

One of the most beautiful doxologies in Scripture comes from the apostle Paul in Romans 11:33-36. Leaving Paul's doxology in context begs the question, What caused Paul to burst out in these words of glory to God at this point in his letter?

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

The doxology begins in verse 33. Looking back at verses 30-32 which precede the doxology, we find one dominant theme: the mercy of God. Paul mentions mercy four times in verses 30-32. In Romans 11 Paul is talking about how the wild branches of the Gentiles have been grafted into the root stock of Israel. And in verse 30 he says that all who receive mercy from God do so in spite of their disobedience, Jews and Gentiles alike. And God is committed to such mercy because "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (verse 29).

God's promises are made on the basis of His character, not on the basis of our worthiness. God's mercy is always a good reason to offer praise and worship to Him.

Who shall the LORD's elect condemn? 'Tis God that justifies their souls, and mercy like a mighty stream O'er all their sins divinely rolls.
Isaac Watts

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Romans 11-14  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2011-14&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, November 28

Voluntary Thanksgiving

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:21

Recommended Reading
Psalm 107:8, 15, 31 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20107:8,%2015,%2031&version=NKJV )

The American Pilgrims weren't the first to give thanks with a meal: "The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning" (Leviticus 7:15, NIV 1984). Due to the lack of refrigeration, the "fellowship offering of thanksgiving" had to be offered and eaten on the same day. Today we enjoy leftovers for several days after!

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

The Israelites did not restrict their expressions of thanksgiving to one day. "Thank offerings" could be offered at any time as a type of "fellowship offering" (Leviticus 3; 7:11-34), one of the five categories of Old Testament sacrifices (the others were burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings). A fellowship offering was a voluntary offering. When offered for the purpose of thanksgiving, it included not only an animal sacrifice but various breads to be consumed as a meal.

Voluntary  is the key word. We are free at any time to thank God for His goodness and wonderful works: "Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).

God's giving deserves our thanksgiving.
Unknown

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Romans 15-16  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2015-16&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, November 29

The Light of His Glory

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, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.
Psalm 27:4

Recommended Reading
Psalm 73:16-17, 23-28 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2073:16-17,%2023-28&version=NKJV )

At a meeting of the Socratic Club in Oxford, England, in 1945, the Christian apologist C. S. Lewis said, "I believe that the Sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else." In his biography of C. S. Lewis, Alister McGrath explains what Lewis meant: "We can look at the sun itself; or we can look instead at what it illuminates -- thus enlarging our intellectual, moral, and aesthetic vision. We see the true, the good, and the beautiful more clearly by being given a lens that brings them into focus."1

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

The psalmist Asaph had a similar enlightening experience. He was confused and frustrated about the prosperity of evildoers in the world -- "Until I went into the sanctuary of God;  then  I understood their end" (Psalm 73:17). When he went to the temple to worship God, suddenly he saw the answer -- the answer was God! Somehow, when we "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" (Psalm 29:2), life looks different.

We worship God not only because He is God but because we see everything else more clearly in the light of His glory.

In the light of God, human vision clears.
James Philip

1Alister McGrath,  C. S. Lewis: A Life—Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet  (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2013), 277.

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

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, November 30

Blessing Bundles: Yesterday, Today, and Forever

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Recommended Reading
Hebrews 13:1-8 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2013:1-8&version=NKJV )

About forty million adults in America suffer from anxiety, making it the most common mental illness in the country. But even those who haven't been treated for an anxiety disorder experience daily stress, tension, and fear. Our worries can center on things that happened in the past, either recent or distant, the circumstances currently facing us, or fears of tomorrow.

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When your past comes back to haunt you, turn your thoughts around and thank God for past blessings. His care for you in days gone by is far greater than any perils or problems, and His redemption is deeper than any regret. When a current distress torments you, turn it into prayer and praise, and thank God for promising to never leave you nor forsake you. Whenever you're tempted to fret about tomorrow, start praising Him for the eternal nature of His love, for a future just as bright as His promises.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- and so are His grace, peace, sovereignty, fellowship, joy, power, wisdom, and love. He gives His blessings in bundles -- yesterday, today, and forever -- so our gratitude should be eternal.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. One day we all will meet Him around this dynamic truth.... He is ours -- the unforsaking, unchanged Christ.
Calvin Miller, in Fruit of the Spirit

Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Corinthians 5-9  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%205-9%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, December 1

Visions of Christmas: Seeing Red

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
Psalm 116:7

Recommended Reading
Matthew 11:28-30 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011:28-30&version=NKJV )

Studying U.S. death data from 1979-2004, a team of researchers at the University of California at San Diego found that Americans are more likely to die over the holidays -- including fatal events on Christmas Day and New Year's Day -- than at any other time of the year.1 That should be enough to encourage anyone to slow down and enjoy a stress-free Christmas this year!

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Today is December 1 -- you have several weeks to prepare for a peaceful and safe celebratory season. Indeed, preparation is the key to preventing stress all year long. You're off to a good start, reading your daily devotions in Turning Points. In addition, ask the Lord to help you reflect Him this Christmas. God is not stressed or in a hurry; God's face doesn't turn red because of traffic and shoppers and the cost of gifts. So we shouldn't be stressed or turn red either. The fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Stay filled with the Spirit this Christmas and there will be no room left for stress (Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 1:9).

Let the only red you see this Christmas be on the decorations, not in the mirror!

1 news.nationalpost.com/2010/12/20/christmas-the-deadliest-day-of-the-year-study (accessed 8-1-13).

Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Corinthians 10-13  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2010-13&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

 
Monday, December 02

History's Best Seller

We also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13

Recommended Reading
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%201%20Thessalonians%202:13-20&version=NKJV )

According to Wikipedia's list of best-selling books, Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is history's top novel, followed by The Lord of the Rings, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince), and  The Hobbit -- each selling more than 100 million copies.1 But none of those compare with the circulation or impact of the Bible, which is by far the most widely distributed book on earth and in history.

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If you're facing a crisis, how much strength do you find in A Tale of Two Cities? If you need spiritual encouragement, do you turn to The Lord of the Rings? These may be enjoyable reads, but they can't bring salvation to our hearts, life to our souls, strength to our spirits, or heaven to our pathways. While we treasure the heritage of good literature, only one book is given by inspiration of God.

Welcome, read, and obey the Bible each day not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in those who believe.

1en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List (accessed September 4, 2013).

Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Corinthians 14-16  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2014-16%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, December 03

"That Verse Saved My Life"

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
Proverbs 1:10

Recommended Reading
Proverbs 1:8-15 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Proverbs%201:8-15&version=NKJV )

Referring to Proverbs 1:10, Barry Black, Chaplain of the United States Senate, wrote: "This simple Bible verse saved my life during my early teenage years when I refused to follow two friends who eventually murdered someone. The same morning I memorized this verse, I refused to go with them. The refusal kept me from going to jail for life -- the penalty they received for the crime. God's warnings are designed to protect us, not to destroy our joy. He challenges us to refuse to follow sinners."1

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

When we accept the Word of God, it ultimately affects our decisions, our walk, and our entire life. It provides rules when we don't know where the guardrails are. And it's a fountainhead of strength when we're overcome by fear or weakness.

Are you currently memorizing a particular verse or passage from the Bible? If not, find a verse and begin today. You might start with Proverbs 1:10. You never know when the right verse at the right time will save your life.

1 Barry C. Black, The Blessing of Adversity (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2011), 100.

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

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, December 04

God's Everyone Seminary

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God ... that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Recommended Reading
2 Timothy 3:13-17 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203:13-17&version=NKJV )

A "seminary" is a school specializing in theological training especially for those entering vocational ministry. The word seminary, akin to the term for "seed," comes from the Latin term seminarium, or "plant nursery." Since the 1580s, this word has described schools that train Christians for ministry. Good seminaries enrich the Church with scholarship and instruction, and they're important to the advancement of our Christian work.

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

Though not everyone can attend seminary, every Christian has a seminary between two covers -- the Holy Bible. God's Word is a school that trains us for the work He has planned for us on earth. According to 2 Timothy 3:17, as we invest ourselves in God's Word, we're "thoroughly equipped for every good work." We're not just equipped for good work; we're equipped for every good work, and we are thoroughly equipped for every good work. We become spiritually productive through the Word of God.

The Bible is God's Everyone Seminary. Make sure you're enrolled today by having a personal plan for reading, studying, memorizing, pondering, obeying, and sharing the Bible.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Corinthians 5-9  ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205-9%20&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, December 05

"Take Up and Read"

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Romans 13:14

Recommended Reading
Romans 13:11-14 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2013:11-14&version=NKJV )

Augustine of Hippo was born in North Africa to a pagan father and a devout mother. He grew up a prodigal who reveled in drunkenness, lewdness, and lust, but his mother kept praying for him. One day as Augustine sat in a garden, he overheard a voice chanting, "Take up and read!" Picking up a Bible, he opened it to Romans 13. As he read that page -- especially verse 14 -- a light streamed into his heart and, as he later said, all the darkness of doubt fled away. Augustine went on to become one of the greatest thinkers in Church history.

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

It's remarkable how Bible verses become shafts of light to illumine the darkness of our souls, and then afterward they illumine the footsteps of our ways. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word  is  a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Any good work arising from our commitment to the Word of God brings honor to the Lord and overcomes the attacks of the enemy. Let's constantly "take up and read" the Bible, resolved to always walk in its light.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
2 Corinthians 10-13 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2010-13&version=NKJV )

[Judy Harder]

Friday, December 06

The Unopened Gift

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4

Recommended Reading
Proverbs 3:5-6 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%203:5-6&version=NKJV )

We expect a lot from December: Christmas songs, yummy Christmas cookies, decorations, good food, and time with those we love. As we rush to buy last-minute gifts, we try to remain calm amidst the crowds and busyness. It shouldn't surprise us that we tend to overlook the one gift that can help us keep perspective during the month of December: God's Word.

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

When we open the Bible, we find encouragement for those times when our expectations remain unmet. The birth of Jesus lacked most of the comforts we now associate with Christmas. Mary did not expect to give birth to her first child in a barn. Joseph did not expect Mary to become pregnant before they wed. They were alone and far from family. Despite their difficult circumstances, Mary and Joseph trusted God. They had received the gift of God's voice and they followed His directions.

We too can hear from God. Scripture reminds us of what is important. It speaks to our deepest needs and keeps us focused on God and His will during each season of life. Let's not forget to open this gift this Christmas and throughout the year. God's Word has the counsel, wisdom, and power we need. Open it today.

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