Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – As Good as Done

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Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
Joshua 1:2-3

Recommended Reading: Joshua 6:1-5

If someone includes you in their will, your inheritance is as good as done even though it may be years before you receive it. Words spoken with authority before the fact ensure that what is spoken will take place.

That was the case when Joshua prepared to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Before Joshua and the people crossed the Jordan River and entered into the land, God said He was giving the land to them. Even though God said it before it happened, it ultimately took place just as He said it would. It happened again before the Israelites captured Jericho: “I have given Jericho into your hand” (Joshua 6:2). When God makes a promise about something in the future, His promise removes all fear. We can be certain that what He has said or what He has called us to do, will be accomplished.

What has God called you to do? His calling removes any reason to fear the future.

Nothing is more offensive to God than disbelief of His promise.
Matthew Henry

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Rich Life of Gratitude

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[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life . . . because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9

Today’s Scripture

2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-10

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Today’s Devotion

In a letter dated September 13, 1943—five months after his imprisonment for opposing the Nazi regime—Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote his parents. He asked for books and paper. He thanked them for the ways they’d helped him, and said, “It’s a strange feeling to be so completely dependent on other people; but at least it teaches one to be grateful, and I hope I shall never forget that. In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

In 2 Timothy, writing while “being chained like a criminal” (2:9), the apostle Paul too expressed his deep gratitude to those who’d loved and cared for him (1:3-4, 16). He asked for Timothy to bring his “scrolls, especially the parchments” (4:13).

And he lifted up the greatest gift God has given—“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we’ve done but because of his own purpose and grace” (1:9). The grace revealed through Christ—who “destroyed death” and “brought life and immortality to light” (v. 10)—brought Paul peace and purpose even in his suffering.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was never freed from Nazi imprisonment. He was executed on April 9, 1945. It’s believed Paul was executed not long after writing 2 Timothy. Yet both could testify to the goodness of a God who always gives immeasurably more than we could ever give in return.

Reflect & Pray

In what ways have you experienced others’ care? How has gratitude changed you?

Gracious God, thank You for all You are.

Today’s Insights

Paul’s invitation to Timothy to “join with [him] in suffering for the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:8) is one that most would rather take a pass on. When we experience suffering and discomfort because of our faith in Jesus, we often resist it rather than welcome it. The consolation and hope that strengthens us, however, is found in the words in the remainder of the verse: “by the power of God.” Believers in Christ have resources that more than match the challenges they encounter. Those assets include God’s “power” (v. 7)—His might and strength. Furthermore, God’s Spirit resides in us: “Guard the good deposit . . . with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (v. 14; see v. 7). Finally, in our suffering, God’s grace strengthens us: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1).

For further study, read: Does Gratitude Help Our Mental Health?

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Store clerk jumps inside moving school bus to save children

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A Minnesota store clerk named Ebro Ahmed noticed a school bus driving by with the doors open. When he looked inside, he saw the driver having what appeared to be a seizure. He then ran toward the bus, jumped inside, and pulled the emergency brake, saving nearly twenty children.

The students were transferred to another bus and sent home; the driver was later released from the hospital. Ahmed explained his actions to reporters: “I really felt like it was my duty. Also, too, it’s kids we’re talking about, you know. Even if I were to die, it would still be worth it.”

“God” appears nowhere in the Constitution

Don’t you wish such news were all the news in the news? So do I. But we both know it’s not so. You don’t need me to comment on the manhunt still ongoing for a murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison, or the fifteen-year-old boy who allegedly staged a mass shooting in Florida, or the Baltimore mass shooting that paralyzed a three-year-old boy, or the NYPD detective who was stabbed ten times during a robbery in the Bronx.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Store clerk jumps inside moving school bus to save children →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Twenty-First-Century Idol Worship

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 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. 

—Psalm 115:4, 8

Scripture:

Psalm 115:4 

Psalm 115:8 

In today’s devotion, we’re going to talk about the hot-button issue of the cult of personality—that is, the temptation to place people on pedestals and give them too much influence or power over us.

To frame the discussion properly, we need to go back to Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His people to obey. Those commandments still play a large role in the lives of God’s people, although some may seem to play a larger role than others.

At first glance, the Second Commandment might seem like the least necessary of the ten today. You’ll find the second Commandment in Exodus 20:4–5: “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me” (NLT).

Some people might argue that golden calves and other graven images aren’t twenty-first-century problems. And while it’s true that most believers today aren’t tempted to smelt gold to create pagan tchotchkes, the second Commandment is still extremely relevant.

The reality is that idols come in all shapes and sizes because people come in all shapes and sizes. Many well-meaning believers fall into the trap of making idols out of people they admire.

Have you ever heard of a sports hero? How about American Idol? We use the phrases somewhat jokingly: “That person is a sports god” or “I idolize that person. He’s a guitar god.” But the way some people look at certain individuals, it could be that they have made a person their god.

We can make idols out of people in the church, too. We can make an idol out of a man or woman of God, someone whom the Lord has used to bless us. We can start to admire them too much. But here’s what we need to remind ourselves: Those people are human just like us. They will be wrong. They will fail us. They will disappoint us. They will give in to temptation. They will struggle in certain areas of their lives.

The problem is that people become like the gods they worship. Psalm 115 warns, “Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (verses 4, 8 NLT).

The only person who deserves that position in our lives is the Lord. He alone is deserving of our worship.

Reflection question: How can you keep from elevating people too much in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Unceasing Prayer

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

This is, no doubt, the shortest commandment in the Bible, and seemingly the most difficult to obey. How could anyone possibly pray without ceasing? What about sleeping, or working, or other necessary pursuits?

Paul himself claimed to pray without ceasing. For example, he wrote to the Roman church: “For God is my witness . . . that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers” (Romans 1:9). To the Thessalonians he wrote, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith” (1 Thessalonians 1:2–3). In his very last epistle he wrote, “I thank God . . . that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day” (2 Timothy 1:3).

It is obvious from such references that Paul did not mean we should be uttering prayers continually but rather to be continually in a prayerful attitude and never to stop the regular practice of prayer. In like fashion, the Lord Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). In the parable following this command, He spoke of God’s “own elect, which cry day and night unto him” (Luke 18:7). This would further imply that our prayerful attitude and regular practice of specific prayer should be taking place every day and every night. We should never “faint”—that is, lose heart—if the answer isn’t what or when we hope, but keep on praying anyway. When it’s the right time, He will, indeed, answer “speedily,” and in the right way (Luke 18:8).

To pray without ceasing means simply to be free to communicate quickly with Him, night and day, always in an attitude of prayer. “If ye abide in me,” He said, “and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Heart of Obedience

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But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed.

Romans 6:17 (AMPC)

Paul wrote that the believers in Rome were obedient with all their heart. This was important because it is possible to have halfhearted obedience—to be reluctantly obedient in behavior but not be joyfully obedient with all your heart.

Obeying what God says is not just a matter of putting on a show, but a matter of having the right attitude. When you really want to please the Lord, you can’t wait to follow His direction and instructions for your life.

I want to encourage you to come up higher in your obedience. Be quick to obey, radical and joyful in your obedience. Don’t be the kind of person God has to deal with for weeks just to get you to do the simplest little thing. Gladly do what God asks of you.

Obedience is more than a spiritual obligation—it is a spiritual opportunity! Your obedience to God will ultimately be rewarded. Obedience sows the seed necessary to bring another blessing into your life. You can never outgive God; He will always reward your seeds of obedience.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me obey You quickly and joyfully, with all my heart, not reluctantly. I trust that my obedience to You will always be rewarded.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Jesus Sees Every Person 

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As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. No one else saw him. The disciples saw only a theological case study. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  They didn’t see a human being. They saw a topic of discussion.

Jesus, by contrast, saw a man who was blind from birth. A man who had never seen a sunrise, who couldn’t distinguish purple from pink. He dwelled in a dark world. Others had reason to hope. He had reason to despair.  But then Jesus saw him and he sees you.

The first lesson of this miracle is a welcome one. You and I aren’t invisible. We aren’t overlooked. Jesus spots us on the side of the road and he makes the first move. Remember my friend, you are never alone.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – The Sovereign Farmer

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Read Isaiah 28:23–29

George Washington, America’s first president, said of farming: “Agriculture is the most healthy, the most useful, and the most noble employment of man.” Today’s reading is an Old Testament poetic parable about the kingdom of God and the accomplishment of His plans. In Isaiah 28, God is pictured as a farmer. When farmers do their tasks, they don’t do them mindlessly or repeat them continually for no reason (vv. 24–25). For example, a farmer finishes plowing, then moves on to sowing seeds. Similarly, farmers deal with different types of seeds in the right ways (vv. 27–28). Cumin and caraway seeds are small and delicate and must be threshed differently than other kinds.

The spiritual lesson here is that God knows and does everything in the right way at the right time (v. 29). His plans and actions are “wonderful” and “magnificent.” If farmers know the right way to do their work—by paying attention to God’s created order, we infer from verse 26—then surely we can trust God to know the right way to do His work. Furthermore, if farmers know to vary their processes according to the type of seed and crop, understanding that one size doesn’t fit all, then surely we can trust God to know and do the right thing in the right way at the right time. This includes His warnings earlier in this chapter to the leaders of Ephraim and Judah.

The picture of cumin and caraway seeds being threshed instead of crushed implies that God might judge or punish His people, but He won’t destroy them (v. 27). His faithful covenant love can be trusted, even when His people are doing wrong. The title “LORD Almighty” is a bit generic (v. 29). Other translations render this “Lord of hosts” or “Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” The focus is on His sovereign and mighty power.

Go Deeper

Where have you seen God “threshing the seeds” in your life? In what ways do you need to strengthen your faith that He is the wise Farmer cultivating your life?

Pray with Us

Lord of hosts, we praise You, for we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). Thank You for creating each one of us as a unique individual.

All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.Isaiah 28:29

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Armed by Prayer

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And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18, NIV

Recommended Reading: Philippians 4:6-7

A centurion in the armies of Rome commanded a cohort of eighty soldiers; they were considered the backbone of the Roman army. Centurions are mentioned several times in the New Testament, two by name: Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8) and Julius (Acts 27:1-6). Centurions received orders through the chain of command and conveyed them to their soldiers.

When Paul used a Roman soldier’s armor to illustrate the Christian’s spiritual armor, he did not mention a centurion. But in the verse immediately following his description of spiritual armor, he exhorted the Ephesian believers to be diligent in prayer—to be alert and pray continually for all the saints. Just as a Roman soldier depended on his commanding centurion for direction and strategy, so Christians need to depend on their Commander for daily guidance. Prayer “in the Spirit” is how we stay in touch with God who guides us and strengthens us to be victorious in spiritual warfare.

As you prepare each day to engage in victorious Christian living, begin with Spirit-led prayer as you put on the whole armor of God.

I live in the spirit of prayer…and the answers are always coming.
George Müller 

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God Knows Your Name

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I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 43:1-7

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One particularly catchy book promotion featured the auctioning of the chance for readers to have their name in print. Willing participants could pay to have their names used for a character in a bestselling author’s upcoming novel. The highest bidder in the auction won a chance to select a name to be used in the book. The money raised went to charity—and of course the author’s novel was promoted.

Many people enjoy seeing their names in print. It’s a way for them to be known or even “seen.” But rest assured, Someone much more important already knows your name and already sees you.

When Isaiah reminded the Israelites about God’s love for them, he said, “[God has] summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). The prophet was reminding the people of God’s covenant agreement with them formed with their forefather Abraham many years before (see Genesis 12:1-3). And even though the people may have felt abandoned during the time these words were spoken, Isaiah’s reminder showed that God knew their needs and was with them (Isaiah 43:2-5).

Similarly, those who believe in Jesus are known by God. John 10:3 says, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” We’re known by God when we seek to follow Him and follow His commands outlined for us in Scripture. We’re known and we’re loved. God sees us and knows us by name.

Reflect & Pray

How does reflecting on the fact that God knows your name help you? How can you share the good news of being known by Him?

Almighty God, thank You for knowing me and seeing me.

Today’s Insights

Because of the Israelites’ unrepentant unfaithfulness, God exiled them to Babylon (Isaiah 39:6-7). But He assured them, “I will be with you” (43:2; see v. 5). He also promised He’d bring them back to the promised land (vv. 2-6). He lovingly called them “my sons . . . and my daughters . . . who [are] called by my name” (vv. 6-7). As believers in Jesus, we too are called by God. Paul says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ” (Ephesians 1:4 nlt). Calling us by our names, Jesus leads us to follow Him (John 10:3). We don’t need to be afraid of the uncertainties of our future, for God has assured us, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1 nlt). He knows us and has written our names “in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3; see Revelation 20:12-15).

For further study, read: You Are Seen

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Should the NFL have postponed its game in Paris?

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Today’s topic is strangely paradoxical: the less relevant we believe it to be, the more relevant it becomes.

We’ll begin with this: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints yesterday. This is good news in Pittsburgh, bad news in New Orleans, and not news for the rest of us.

Except that the game was the first ever played in Paris and took place amid some of the most violent public demonstrations in that country’s recent history. The day before the game, more than four hundred thousand people protested across the nation over school funding and soaring living costs. The chaos has been so threatening that President Trump believed the NFL should have postponed the game.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Should the NFL have postponed its game in Paris? →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Pursuit of Happiness

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 So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. 

—Luke 12:32

Scripture:

Luke 12:32 

Over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be talking about hot-button issues—things that play a large role in people’s lives today. And we’re going to start with finding happiness.

The pursuit of happiness seems to be part of the DNA of our culture. It’s so embedded in our consciousness that the Founding Fathers listed it as a fundamental right in the Declaration of Independence.

The irony is that for many people the pursuit of happiness is an empty, frustrating, and ultimately unfulfilling experience. The harder they pursue, the less happy they find themselves.

A better option can be found in God’s Word.

The word blessed comes from the Greek word makarios, which refers to the kind of happiness that is self-contained. When we see the word blessed used in the New Testament, that is the happiness it’s referring to.

Too often in our lives, our happiness is not self-contained. Rather, it’s contingent on good things happening. We convince ourselves that if we could just get that raise at work or if we could just meet the right person or if we could just own the object of our desires, then we would be happy. Until those things happen, our happiness is on hold.

If something fun or exciting happens, we may experience happiness for a brief time. But when the fun or excitement ends, so does the happiness. In other words, our happiness depends on certain things occurring.

But being blessed is a different concept altogether. Blessings depend on God. They don’t ebb and flow based on circumstances or moods. You can experience God’s blessings regardless of what’s happening in your life. You can be blessed in even the worst circumstances. That’s the idea of makarios.

The amazing news is that God wants to bless you. Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT).

When I was raising my two sons, I spoiled them. I would randomly buy toys for them. I would say, “Let’s go to the toy store.” It wasn’t a birthday or Christmas. We would look around, and then we would end up buying a big toy. That’s how I spoiled my children. I suppose that’s the privilege of a parent.

If you’re a child of God, then know this: God loves to bless His children. In fact, God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed.

Draw close to Him. Spend time in His Word, getting to know Him and His will for your life. Pour your heart out to Him in prayer. Tell others about the difference He’s made in your life. And then watch what He does in your life.

Stop pursuing happiness. Start pursuing God.

Reflection question: What would pursuing God look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Of the Lord by the Prophet

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by Brian Thomas, Ph.D.

“And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Matthew 2:15)

What can this gospel writer’s phrase “spoken of the Lord by the prophet” teach us about how to read the Bible? We discover a clear pointer to interpreting Scripture and thus can have confidence that we can correctly understand what God is saying.

The pointer comes from Matthew’s emphasis on the prophet’s words as expressing what the Lord spoke. In today’s text, Matthew did not say that the prophet (Hosea) invented the message or that it merely might have included some divine content. Who said those words—the Lord or Hosea? Apparently, both! Hosea and the rest of the prophets wrote down the exact words the Lord wanted to say.

Fallible humans got to participate in the process of recording infallible words through this miracle of divine inspiration. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). Matthew’s confidence that Hosea penned the speech of God Himself can give us the same assurance. Other Bible authors reinforce this.

The prophet Daniel wrote, “In the first year of [Darius’s] reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (9:2). Here again we see complete confidence that a prophet—in this case Jeremiah—wrote down “the word of the LORD,” not words that any mere man made up.

Rest assured that the prophets who penned their portions of Scripture wrote our Lord’s exact words. BDT

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – What Must I Do to Please God?

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But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him…

Hebrews 11:6 (AMPC)

In John 6:28-29 (AMPC), some people asked Jesus what He required of them: What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?] Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith in His Son. God’s love for us is unconditional, and it’s important for us to understand that He wants us to do good works because of our love for Him and our faith in Jesus—not because we feel we have to earn His love. It blesses God when we live by faith, working through His love in our hearts (Galatians 5:6).

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You that Your love is unconditional. Help me live by faith in Jesus, not to earn Your love, but because I love You and trust You completely.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Those Who Can’t See 

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Play

From Heaven’s viewpoint, our earth is populated by sightless people. They do not see the meaning of life or the love of God. How else do we explain the confusion and chaos? How else do we explain the constant threat of world war, plagues of hunger, racism, and the Holocaust of the unborn? Billions of people simply cannot see.

The scripture says, “The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe.” They cannot see the light of the good news, the good news about the glory of Christ who is exactly like God. We need a spiritual ophthalmologist. We need Jesus to do for us what he did for the man on the side of the Jerusalem road. He restored his sight and he will do the same for us. Remember, my friends, you are never alone.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – The Growing Seed

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Read Mark 4:26–29

The people who owned our house before us planted tulips, a perennial flower. They appear every year, no matter how little we do, and bloom on all sides of our house in a variety of colors. Though we spoke a few days ago of all the work involved in gardening, these tulips take no work at all.

The growing seed mentioned in Jesus’ parable in Mark 4 sounds like that. In yet another agricultural image, Jesus described the entire process of farming, from planting to harvesting. The process is inevitable. These pictures would have been very familiar and ordinary to His audience. What was Jesus saying about the kingdom of God (v. 26)? Just as seeds grow to harvest without human agency, so also does the kingdom of God. The farmer “does not know how” the harvest arrives (v. 27). It’s not that the farmer doesn’t matter, but he cannot cause the growth process to occur. Similarly, the growth of God’s kingdom depends on Him; it does not depend on human beings. It will surely happen, no matter what we do or don’t do, not unlike the tulips above.

We can say with confidence that one of the results of this month’s study is understanding that the death-to-life process seen in seeds is a natural object lesson revealing supernatural truths. This transformation is not the result of human knowledge or effort, but of God’s wisdom and power. The gospel “is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). The harvest is the consummation of the kingdom. This parable, unique to Mark, shows again that the kingdom won’t come all at once. As we know, the harvest is a time of judgment as well (Joel 3:13). Some sorting will need to be done when that day comes (see Day 29)!

Go Deeper

Where are we in the kingdom process (see Matt. 24)? How close do you think we are to the “harvest”? No one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return, but how do we read the “seasons”?

Pray with Us

Holy Father, we don’t know the time of Your coming, but we do know it will be worth the wait! Thank You for perfectly orchestrating Your plan. We can’t wait to spend eternity with You.

Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.Mark 4:27

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Sowing Bodies

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Read 1 Corinthians 15:35–45

As I accumulate birthdays, I’m becoming increasingly convinced of the second law of thermodynamics, that is, of entropy, the tendency of things to decay. I am speaking, of course, of the aches and pains of aging. The knee that throbs. The arthritis in that shoulder. Even the sudden need for reading glasses.

If you share my experience, take heart. Believers in Christ will one day receive a new, redeemed, spiritual body suitable for spending eternity with Him. Again, God takes the principle of you reap what you sow and turns it into something better. Unimaginably better. We sow a body that was destined to decay and die, and in exchange we reap a glorified body that will last forever! What will our future glorified bodies be like? Different (vv. 35–41). Our current bodies are merely seeds. Seeds die and are transformed. Just as different seeds become various plants, so also will there be different, glorified bodies, from people to animals to astronomical objects.

Paul then answered the question of what our future glorified bodies will be like (vv. 42–44). He did so mainly through contrast. Whereas our physical bodies now are earthly, perishable, dishonorable, weak, and natural, our resurrection bodies will be heavenly, imperishable, glorified, powerful, and spiritual. “Dishonor” refers to sin and fallenness, and “glory” to our redemption. “Weakness” refers to the effects of sin, namely, that we’re subject to death; “power” indicates that we’re free from that and will live forever. This transformation is done completely by God’s grace and strength.

God breathed life into Adam, made of the dust of the ground (v. 45). So also will He breathe life into our resurrection bodies, giving them eternal life through Christ’s redemption.

Go Deeper

What are you looking forward to with your resurrected body? What would you like to see change?

Pray with Us

Though we eagerly anticipate the day when we receive our heavenly bodies, may we be good stewards of our bodies right now. Let everything we do be for Your glory.

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.1 Corinthians 15:44

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God’s Portrait of You

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She saw that he was a fine child. Exodus 2:2

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 2:1-10

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Today’s Devotion

The British TV reality show Portrait Artist of the Year pits nine amateur painters against each other in creating portraits of a local celebrity. The images have to be completed in just four hours, which is condensed into the one-hour program. It’s fascinating to watch the cameras capture each artist’s creation slowly emerging from a blank canvas.

The Bible records the story of creation in Genesis, where God brings life out of the void —a blank canvas. Yet there’s a another “creation story” in Exodus 2—the birth of Moses. This language echoes earlier Genesis accounts. The mother of Moses “saw that he was a fine child” (Exodus 2:2); this is the Hebrew word tov, meaning “good,” as used in Genesis: “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:25). Baby Moses is put in a basket and floated on the water to be saved—basket being the same word for ark in the story of Noah. Here, we see God bringing to life a portrait of the leader of His chosen people, Israel.

How is God “painting” your life? Perhaps you have come from the bulrushes of humble beginnings. Maybe you feel inadequate for the tasks ahead, as Moses did (see Exodus 4). Yet God’s portrait of you is slowly emerging: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10). As God paints your life, be assured he is bringing tov (good) out of your blank canvas.

Reflect & Pray

How are you experiencing God’s development of you? What does His portrait of you look like?

Dear Father, please conform me into the image of Your Son, Jesus. Lead me into the portrait You wish me to be.

Today’s Insights

Stephen’s defense before the council of Jewish leaders included biographical snapshots from Moses’ life, including his rescue by Pharaoh’s daughter (Acts 7:20-21; see Exodus 2:1-10) and that “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22). Though Moses’ forty years in Pharaoh’s household prepared him for his leadership assignment, it took an additional forty years of the Master Artist’s work to ready him for rescuing the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery (see Acts 7:28-36). Today, just as God prepared Moses for his task, He’s working in our lives to conform us to His image.

For further study, read: The Intimacy of Prayer

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Bringing Up Children

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

This verse, together with the parallel passage in Colossians 3:21, is probably the key New Testament instruction specifically dealing with the training of children. “Nurture” is from the same Greek word that is translated “chastening” in Hebrews 12:5 and 7 and “instruction” in 2 Timothy 3:16. It has particular reference to carrying out child training with both firmness and gentleness, as needed and appropriate in each particular case.

The term “admonition” is from a Greek word meaning “putting in mind.” Thus, the “admonition of the Lord” implies teaching the ways of the Lord by using the Word of the Lord. There is no substitute for implanting a knowledge of God’s Word in the minds of our children. Even if they should drift away for a while in later life, the Lord can use His Word in their hearts to bring them back.

Both types of training—through action and through verbal teaching—are said in this passage to be primarily the responsibility of the father. The first reference in the Bible to training children deals with Abraham’s responsibility to bring up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (see Genesis 18:19). Mothers, of course, also have much responsibility and ability in this ministry (see Proverbs 1:8, and the example cited by Paul himself of how Timothy’s mother and grandmother had taught him—2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15). Fathers, too, sometimes delegate certain teaching responsibilities to tutors (Galatians 4:1–2), but the overall responsibilities are theirs.

And all of this training should be done in love. “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). Then we trust the Lord and pray. HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Know When to Stop

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Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10 (AMPC)

I share in my teaching that we often study the steps of Jesus but fail to study the stops of Jesus. We all need to learn when to stop.

Jesus stopped what He was doing to listen to people and to help them. He stopped to rest, to have dinner with friends, to go to a wedding, and to do lots of other simple but important things.

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, Mary knew when to stop, but Martha didn’t. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet so she would not miss the moment, but Martha just kept working (Luke 10:38-41).

I wonder how many times in life we miss the moment because we don’t know when to stop.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, teach me when to stop. Help me be still like Mary, listen for Your voice, and not miss the moments You have for me today.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

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