Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Active Waiting

Leave a comment

 

NEW!Listen Now

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.
Psalm 37:7-8

Recommended Reading: Psalm 37:9; Psalm 37:34

Television news often features segments at the nation’s largest airports—usually based around flight delays or cancellations. When the reporters interview travelers, they are often impatient or disgruntled. No one likes their plans to be delayed, much less canceled.

Delays happen all the time in our lives. We do our best to manage them with a measure of grace. What is harder is when we find ourselves in situations where we feel we have been wronged in some way and we ask God to intervene on our behalf. That was the motivation behind David writing Psalm 37—the contrast between the righteous who suffer at the hands of the wicked and the wicked themselves. David’s counsel to the righteous is not just to wait for the Lord to act but to wait “patiently.” If we are waiting patiently, we will not be angry or anxious. Instead, we will wait actively in prayer and in pursuit of acts of righteousness.

If your plans have been delayed or changed for whatever reason, do not fret. Instead, let your waiting be a time of seeking God’s will and finding joy in it.

Faith is not idle; it works while it waits.
Ronald Dunn

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God’s Drastic Love

Leave a comment

 

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. John 3:16

Today’s Scripture

John 3:16-21

Listen to Today’s Devotion

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotion

Daniel was born into a Romanian orphanage. For seven years, he only left his crib to go to the bathroom. When he turned eight, a family from another country adopted him. They knew about attachment disorders—that Daniel could have difficulty attaching to them as his parents. Slowly, Daniel started to trust them. Over time, though, he began to rage to the point his parents hired a bodyguard to protect them from Daniel’s outbursts. They decided on a controversial therapy: For the next five years they were never away from Daniel even if he had a meltdown. On his thirteenth birthday Daniel broke down and, for the first time, told his parents he loved them very much. His mother summarized the experience: “Creating love is not for the soft and sentimental. Love is a battlefield.”

We’re all born knowing that something or someone is missing. Like Daniel, we have an attachment disorder. But God “so loved the world” so much that he took drastic action—“he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16), meeting us on earth’s battlefield in what we call the Incarnation. “Light has come into the world” (v. 19).

God took drastic measures to demonstrate His great love for the world. For you. His strong, determined Father-heart beats to hear from us the words Daniel’s parents finally heard: “I love you very much.”

Reflect & Pray

How have you felt that something or someone is missing? How can you respond to God’s drastic love for you?

Dear heavenly Father, I love You very much. Thank You for loving me first.

Today’s Insights

Many people are familiar with John 3:16, which describes the scope of God’s love for the world: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Many, however, misinterpret this verse. They think that if God’s love is so great, no one will “perish.” The critical phrase is “whoever believes in [Jesus].” John also writes, “Whoever does not believe [in Jesus] stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (v. 18). John’s gospel begins with John introducing Christ as the light of the world (1:4-9). Jesus says of Himself, “Light has come into the world,” but people avoid the light “because their deeds [are] evil” (3:19). God is indeed love. But we must respond to His love by believing in His Son, Jesus—the light of the world.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The sudden deaths of Sen. Lindsey Graham and actor Sam Neill

Leave a comment

 

A reflection on hope and the transforming presence of God

Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, has died, his office said early Sunday morning. He was seventy-one.

Sen. Graham was a former presidential candidate and a strong advocate for the war with Iran. He had been in Ukraine on Friday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. He died after a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary medical examiner’s finding.

Mr. Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002. He was a strong supporter of Israel; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country had no better friend than the senator. He chaired the Senate Budget Committee and was a regular presence in the media. In fact, he had been scheduled to appear Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press.

Continue reading Denison Forum – The sudden deaths of Sen. Lindsey Graham and actor Sam Neill →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Rediscovering the Passion

Leave a comment

 

 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 

—2 Timothy 1:8–9

Scripture:

Spiritual revival can be compared to a romance between a man and a woman. Guys know that when you first take a girl out, you want to make a good impression on her. So, you shower, make sure your shirt is clean, and show her great respect. Maybe you open the car door for her. You pull out her chair at a restaurant—a nice French restaurant.

But when you get married, things change. You still open the car door for her, but you close it before she’s all the way in. And the closest thing to a French restaurant that you take her to now is Jacque in the Box or Le Golden Arches. Something has happened. The passion has slipped away. You’re no longer making the effort.

That reminds me of a story I heard about a woman who wanted to divorce her husband. She told her attorney, “I want this divorce to hurt him badly. I want him to feel as much pain as possible.”

The attorney said, “Here’s how to do it. For the next three months, smother your husband with affection. Compliment him constantly. Tell him what a great guy he is and how much you care for him. Then, when he’s feeling on top of the world, drop the divorce papers on him. He won’t know what hit him. He’ll be devastated when you walk out.”

The woman agreed to the plan. For the next three months she complimented her husband, affirmed him, and told him how much she loved and appreciated him. When the three months ended, her attorney called her and said, “All right, let’s get this divorce started.”

The woman said, “Divorce? We’re going on our second honeymoon.” By committing to the relationship as God intends, the woman unwittingly ignited the flames of passion again.

Similarly, when believers commit to the Christian life as God intends—by studying Scripture, immersing ourselves in prayer, getting involved in a church, and sharing our faith—we fuel the fire of revival in ourselves and others.

That’s why Paul wrote, “So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:8–9 NLT).

One person’s spiritual boldness paves the way for others to follow, just as John Hancock’s bold signature on the Declaration of Independence gave others courage to follow.

Passion and boldness are key ingredients of revival.

 

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

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – His Doom Is Sure

Leave a comment

 

by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

The third verse of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” focuses on Satan’s end. God has willed triumph through His truth.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear; for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim—We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

When Satan was cast from heaven, fully a third of the angels fell with him (Revelation 12:4), such that a “legion” of them could inhabit one individual (Mark 5:9). But God has other plans for His children. He desires “to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18). He desires us to “resist the devil” (James 4:7) and not “give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27).

He also has plans for Satan, including “everlasting chains under darkness” (Jude 1:6), and “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Just one word and Satan will be “cast into the lake of fire and . . . tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). Jesus, anticipating His execution, spoke of it triumphantly. This had been His Father’s will all along. “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:31–32), and now the battle is His. JDM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

Leave a comment

 

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God…

Isaiah 41:10 (AMPC)

God’s Word is clear on this point: We are not to fear. Notice that He doesn’t say that we are never to feel fear, but He does say we shouldn’t allow fear to control us and steal our destiny.

It’s important to remember that what we hide in the darkness has to be brought into the light if we’re going to get rid of it. Go into a completely dark room and switch on the light. What happens? The darkness is swallowed up. That is the way God and His Word work in our lives. When we do what God’s Word tells us to do, those fears that try to torment us are swallowed up. They’re gone, and they have no power over you.

How I wish I had a magic wand I could wave or a prayer I could say that would end fear in your life once and for all. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. Prayer does give us the strength to stand against fear, but for us to overcome and be conquerors as God intends us to be, we must realize that we can “feel the fear and do it anyway,” and then we’ll be free.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, may the power of Your Word be effective in dealing with the fears I bring to You now. Show me the truths that set my soul free, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – What Sustains Your Belief 

Leave a comment

 

Play

Many years ago I spent a week visiting the interior of Brazil with a longtime missionary pilot. Wilbur and Orville had a sturdier aircraft! I could not get comfortable. I kept thinking the plane was going to crash in the jungle, and I’d be gobbled up by piranhas. I kept shifting around, looking down, and gripping my seat—as if that would help. Finally, the pilot had enough of my squirming. He looked over at me and shouted over the airplane noise, “We won’t face anything that I can’t handle. You might as well trust me to fly the plane.”

Is God saying the same to you? Examine the truths which sustain your belief in God. Make sure one of them is etched with the words, “My God is sovereign!” Then, be anxious for nothing.

 

 

 

Home

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Be Perfect

Leave a comment

 

Read Matthew 5:48

My students often ask me if I’m going to “grade on a curve,” that is, if I plan to make the top student grade equal to 100 percent and “curve” them from there. This type of grading allows more students to “earn” higher grades.

Sometimes we act as if God is going to “grade on a curve,” giving us extra points for effort or participation. Today’s verse teaches otherwise. God’s standard is perfection. Matthew chapter 5 and its Jesus-raises-the-bar commands reach a climax in His humbling and impossible command, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). Virtually every English translation says “perfect,” though a few commentators recommend “mature” instead. One wisely suggests “perfectly mature.”

One source notes that the word “perfect” used of God echoes the word “holy” as in Leviticus 11:44: “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” Both “holy” and “perfect” are used so as to indicate not a specific attribute but God’s overall perfection.

What are we to do with this command? First, we admit that we have no chance of obeying it in our own strength. Second, we should recognize the connection to our salvation, which we receive by being credited with Jesus’ perfection. Third, we might understand from the alternate translation “mature” or “perfectly mature” that obedience is a process of growth. Fourth and finally, it might be better to see this verse as a promise as well as a command. Some translators render the opening phrase “You shall be perfect” or “You are going to be perfect.”

God will keep this promise of perfection as He sanctifies us! One day all the redeemed, all citizens of the kingdom of heaven, will live as the Sermon on the Mount describes.

Go Deeper

Would you use the word “perfect” to describe yourself? How are you doing in growing toward perfect maturity (James 1:4)?

Pray with Us

Perfect Lord, thank You for the truths You are teaching us this month. As we seek to serve and follow You, please bring us into perfect maturity through Your Word and Your Spirit.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.Matthew 5:48

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Loving Our Enemies

Leave a comment

 

Read Matthew 5:43–47

I was once studying the Gospel of Matthew with a Chinese student. When we came to Jesus’ command on how Christians are to love, he told me he didn’t understand it. I checked his vocabulary and reading comprehension, which seemed fine. I asked him to summarize the passage, which he did accurately. “What’s the problem?” I asked.

“It’s impossible!” he exclaimed. “No one can love their enemies!”

Exactly. Jesus’ command should shock us all. The normal human reaction might be to love our own people but hate our enemies. The greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbor. But Jesus said to love our enemies as well—even to pray for those who persecute us (vv. 43–44). This did not fit the expectations of those looking for a Messiah to liberate them from the Romans—nor does it fit the way we typically live today.

The reason for Jesus’ command is “that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (v. 45). In other words, this is what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom of God. If we love those who love us, there’s nothing special about that. We are no better than a tax collector or a pagan (vv. 46–47). Jesus deepens the command, saying: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35–36; Matt. 5:7).

Jesus, of course, modeled His own teaching. While dying on the cross, betrayed and forsaken, He prayed for His enemies and forgave them (Luke 23:34). The first martyr, Stephen, imitated Christ’s example and did the same (Acts 7:60).

Go Deeper

How would following Jesus’ teaching about love change the way we live? Who are your “enemies,” and how can you love them?

Pray with Us

Father, the shocking command to love our enemies is impossible without Your Spirit. Please fill us with this impossible love for the difficult people in our lives.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?Matthew 5:46

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Acting on God’s Promises

Leave a comment

 

Joseph . . . said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” Genesis 50:25

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 50:22-26

Listen to Today’s Devotion

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotion

Pieter kisses a framed picture of his elderly parents every night. It’s been many years since he was last with them. As a young adult, when he became a follower of Jesus, his family and community pressured him to give up his newfound belief. When he didn’t, his parents disowned him. “In the Bible, God promised He’d help His children in difficult times, and I believed Him,” Pieter said. “Choosing to follow Him brought suffering, but He has helped me endure.”

Pieter has the assurance from God that He keeps His word, so Pieter is able to trustingly act on God’s promises. We read in Genesis that Joseph, at the end of his life, was also confident in the promises of God. He told his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Genesis 50:24). Joseph was sure that God would keep His promise to take His people to Canaan. So he instructed the Israelites, “You must carry my bones up from [Egypt]” (v. 25).

Four hundred years later, during the exodus from Egypt, “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him” (Exodus 13:19). Eventually, “Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem [in Canaan]” (Joshua 24:32).

Let’s follow Joseph’s example of faith (Hebrews 11:22), showing our faith in God’s promises by acting on them.

Reflect & Pray

What promises of God can you act on? What practical steps can you take?

Faithful God, thank You for Your promises.

Today’s Insights

The writer of Hebrews commended Joseph for believing God’s promise that He’d bring his family out of Egypt into the promised land: “By faith Joseph . . . spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones” (Hebrews 11:22; see Genesis 50:24-25). In reconciling with his brothers who grievously harmed him, Joseph points us to God’s sovereignty in directing human affairs. His statement that “you intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” (Genesis 50:20) is echoed in Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Just as “the Lord was with Joseph” (Genesis 39:2, 23), we can trust in His promise that He’ll be with us and never forsake us: “We say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6; see Psalm 118:6-7).

 

Discover more by listening to Promise Keeper.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Should I open a Trump Account for my kids?

Leave a comment

 

Stewarding our children and generational investment

Thinking about retirement…for your infant? Trump Accounts officially launched on July 4th as an investment option that will help you start that journey. All U.S. citizens under 18 are eligible to participate, but children born between 2025 and 2028 can receive an initial $1,000 deposit from the Treasury upon opening an account.

The tax-advantaged Trump Accounts are designed for long-term investing. Once your child turns 18, the account transfers to their control and operates like a Traditional IRA, with penalty-free withdrawals for approved uses like education and first-time homebuying.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Should I open a Trump Account for my kids? →

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Right Man on Our Side

Leave a comment

 

by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” (Luke 22:31–32)

Satan wanted Peter to fall, and fall he would (v. 34). But Christ had prayed for him that victory would come. The second verse of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” reflects our vulnerability on our own and our invincibility on His side.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is He,
Lord Sabaoth, His name, From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

After revealing many thrilling blessings, Paul asks, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Furthermore, neither “principalities, nor powers” nor anything else in all creation is “able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). With Him, Satan cannot win the battle for our minds or destinies. But on our own, we cannot win.

The term sabaoth is the Hebrew word for “hosts,” in particular the “host of heaven.” The term Yahweh Sabaoth or “LORD Sabaoth” occurs some 300 times in the Old Testament and constitutes a most majestic name for God. “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called” (Isaiah 54:5). This is none other than “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Creator (Colossians 1:16), Sustainer (v. 17), Redeemer (v. 20)—He must win the battle. JDM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Take a Step Toward God

Leave a comment

 

Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you…

James 4:8 (AMP)

The Bible shows us that God took the first steps toward us—steps to building relationship with His children. When we were far from Him, lost in our own sin, God sent Jesus (Romans 5:8). Stepping down from heaven, walking perfectly on this earth, and going willingly to the cross, Jesus gave us what we could never earn in our own effort or strength—total forgiveness of sin, complete redemption, the chance to experience a personal relationship with God, and the promise of eternal life.

And now, through the precious gift of salvation, the Bible shows us that anytime we step toward God, He steps toward us again. And His steps are much bigger than ours.

In your quiet time with God, when you give Him your imperfect, flawed love, you receive His unconditional, perfect love in return. When you have faith as small as a mustard seed, God moves the mountains in your life. When you cast your cares on God, He gives you the peace that passes understanding. Just take a step and watch what God will do!

Prayer of the Day: God, thank You for loving me first. Help me draw closer to You each day and trust You with every care and concern in my life, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Solid Rock: Rock of Ages

Leave a comment

 

NEW!Listen Now

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10

Recommended Reading: Psalm 61:3-4

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”1

The biblical city of Jericho is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Modern archaeological excavations have revealed the city’s fortifications consisting of massive towers and walls. But those fortifications were not enough to preserve it when the Israelites entered Canaan (Joshua 6). Protection in the ancient world was centered around towers and walls. So it is no surprise that the Israelites referred to God as a “strong tower” in whom could be found safety and protection. Proverbs 18:11 says that the rich man considers his wealth to be a strong city with a high wall—that is, safety is found in wealth. But that notion has proven to be false. Only God’s name—His attributes—are a permanent source of safety.

Do not hide yourself in the wealth of this world but in the Rock of Ages.

A sovereign Protector I have, unseen, yet forever at hand.
Augustus M. Toplady

  1. Augustus M. Toplady, “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,” 1776.

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God Watching Over Us

Leave a comment

 

Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 2 Kings 6:16

Today’s Scripture

2 Kings 6:9-17

Listen to Today’s Devotion

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotion

The angels were there all along, but no one alive had seen them. They adorned the walls of the Old North Church in Boston, looking down from on high, but they’d been covered with layers of paint more than a century ago. Church records indicated a contract with a member of the congregation to paint them in 1730 when the church was undergoing construction. A recent restoration project that commenced in 2017 led to the discovery of the angels.

Scripture speaks of supernatural beings—real, not painted—that were present when others were not aware. On one occasion, the prophet Elisha was surrounded by the army of the king of Aram. When his servant saw the hostile forces, he cried out, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15). “ ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them’ ” (v. 16). Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and “he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17).

Angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14), messengers of God sent to help us. We may or may not see them, but they’re there because God has more ways of watching over us than we can imagine. And that should cause us to praise Him, like the angels do.

Reflect & Pray

How does it help you to know God watches over you? How can you thank Him for His goodness today?

Thank You for watching over me today, dear Father. Please help me to walk closely with You.

Today’s Insights

When the king of Aram tried to discern how Israel continually evaded his attacks, he suspected betrayal from his officers (2 Kings 6:10-11). But they responded that it was Elisha’s prophecies that revealed the king’s deepest secrets (v. 12). In the ancient Near East, prophecy was regarded not only as a source of divine revelation but also of military information, so it’s not surprising that the king accepted this as a plausible explanation. Yet the Aramean king didn’t acknowledge Elisha’s accurate prophecies as evidence of God’s power. Instead, he decided to capture Elisha (v. 13). In response, God dramatically revealed His protection over Israel (vv. 17-23). God watches over us as well and reveals His loving care for us.

For further study, read Fear, Faith, and the True Cost of Not Trusting God.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

 

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The Christian Case for Being Uncomfortably Hot

Leave a comment

 

Last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X that New Yorkers should set their thermostats to 78 degrees during the coming heat wave. Because it’s so hot outside, he wrote that “the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool.” So any easing of the demand for power puts less pressure on New York’s grid. He ended his post: “A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved.”

Yet his suggestion of “78 degrees” sparked considerable backlash.

Various Republican pundits took to social media to comment on his plea, linking the request to raise the temperature while it’s hot outside to socialism, communism, and third-world country behavior.

Between the lines, the chief complaint seemed to be that asking an individual to sacrifice for the sake of the collective represents overarching government principles often opposed by conservatives. It was painted as if Mamdani had committed a great evil by suggesting that we inconvenience ourselves to support the needs of the masses.

Continue reading Denison Forum – The Christian Case for Being Uncomfortably Hot →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Hope at the Center

Leave a comment

 

 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 

—1 Peter 3:15

Scripture:

Years ago, I encountered a man on a street in Hawaii. He was holding a sign that read, “The wages of sin is death.” He was also yelling, “God hates you” and “God will judge you” to everyone who passed by. I watched him for a few minutes until I could no longer leave his misrepresentation of Scripture unchallenged.

“Excuse me,” I said. “Why don’t you share the rest of that verse? It’s true that it says the wages of sin is death, but the rest of it says that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The man responded by telling me that God was going to judge me. Then he continued misrepresenting God’s Word.

Make no mistake: Judgment can and will come to those who reject the Lord. But if that’s our only message to the world, we’re not doing the gospel justice. Because at the center of the gospel is a message of hope. The apostle Peter wrote, “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15 NLT).

So, let’s explain it. Jesus Christ took the judgment of God on the cross of Calvary in our place so we don’t have to face it. Everyone who believes in Him will be saved from judgment because of God’s mercy.

As we wrap up our look at the greatest revival in human history, I will remind you that God spared Nineveh. God extended mercy to Nineveh. And as a result, a spiritual awakening occurred in Nineveh. The people of Nineveh seized on the hope in Jonah’s message and believed.

If God could bring a mighty revival in Nineveh with no better representative than Jonah and no more gospel than he preached in their streets, He can surely do the same thing for America. Jesus validated the story of Jonah. He said that just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days, He, the Son of God, would be crucified on a cross, lie dead for three days, and then rise again. That’s why believers have hope.

Jesus endured God’s judgment for your sin. He suffered and died in your place. And He did it as part of God’s plan. God loves you so much that He sacrificed His only Son so that you might have eternal life.

As we celebrate 250 years of God’s blessings on our nation, I want to make sure that you have something greater to celebrate. Have you asked Christ to come into your life? Have you asked Him to forgive you of your sins? Do you have the hope right now that you will go to Heaven when you die? If not, you can have it. Pray these words: Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. I’ve turned from it, and now I choose to follow You from this moment forward. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

 

Reflection question: What would you say if someone asked you about the hope you have as a believer? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Leave a comment

 

by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.” (Psalm 46:1–2)

Martin Luther’s journal entries inform us of his continual battle against evil forces and that Psalm 46 was a great comfort to him. As he meditated on the words of our text, the thrust of a mighty song was born that openly declared victory in the great battle: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

The battle is “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan, along with his henchmen, is an ancient foe, “a roaring lion,” as it were, “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But there is no need for alarm, “the LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:11). He “is our refuge and strength” (today’s text), a bulwark never failing. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Only God could accomplish this victory, for Satan is “the prince of this world” (John 14:30), “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). No man on Earth is his equal.

But how did the Son of God gain the victory? By taking on Himself “flesh and blood” and dying a substitutionary death, “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). JDM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Secure Enough to Be Different

Leave a comment

 

The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own [distinctive] way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance.

1 Corinthians 15:41 (AMPC)

We are all different. Like the sun, the moon, and the stars, God has created us to be different from one another, and He has done it on purpose. Each of us meets a need, and we are all part of God’s overall plan. When we try to be just like someone else, we lose ourselves and stray from who God created us to be. God designed us to fit into His plan, not to feel pressured trying to fit into everyone else’s plans.

Not only is it okay to be different, but it is also how you were created. We are all born with different temperaments, different physical features, different fingerprints, different gifts and abilities. Our goal should be to find out what we individually are supposed to be, then succeed at being that. That is why Romans 12 teaches us to give ourselves to our gift. We are to find out what we are good at and then throw ourselves wholeheartedly into it.

You can be free to love and accept yourself and others around you without feeling pressure to compare or compete. Secure people who know God loves them and has a plan for them are not threatened by the abilities of others. They enjoy what other people can do, and they enjoy what they can do too.

Prayer of the Day: God, help me embrace who You created me to be. Teach me to stop comparing myself to others and confidently walk in Your purpose for my life, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Generosity and Justice

Leave a comment

 

Read Matthew 5:38–42

One of the most famous penny-pinchers in English literature is Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s novel A Christmas Carol. Through a dream on Christmas Eve, however, he was transformed into a generous and cheerful man. How? The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future showed him moments from his life that gave him an accurate perspective on what kind of man he really was. They also issued him an urgent invitation to change his ways.

Generosity and justice are linked in God’s eyes. The old way, lex talionis, an “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” represented a human kind of justice (v. 38; Exod. 21:23–25). As we’ve seen already in His teachings, Jesus raises the bar. Rather than exchanging tit for tat, we are to respond to our adversary with extravagant, unreasonable love or generosity (vv. 39–42).

That means if someone slaps you in anger, you will offer the other cheek instead of responding in kind. (This is not referring to a violent attack or habitual abuse.) If someone sues you for your shirt, offer your coat as well. If a Roman soldier forced you to carry their gear for one mile, you were to go the extra mile despite their being the hated conquerors. These examples, like Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness (Matt. 18:21–22), are meant to shock us. We’re being asked to give up our right to get even (1 Cor. 6:7). All this is faith-inspired generosity: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (v. 42; Ps. 112:5).

Followers of Christ should not worry about keeping score, because we’re trusting in God. In His strength, we can overcome evil with good; He will take any revenge that’s needed (Rom. 12:20–21; see also Prov 25:21–22).

Go Deeper

What is your response to this lesson? Does Jesus mean we should let ourselves be taken advantage of? When, how, or why?

Pray with Us

Lord Jesus, You have shown us extravagant, unreasonable love through Your death on the cross. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Show us who we can love generously!

Give to the one who asks you.Matthew 5:42

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.