Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – April Showers of Blessings: Unlimited

Leave a comment

 

NEW!Listen Now

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Thunderstorms can be majestic, but they can frighten us. At any given moment, about two thousand thunderstorms are raining down on earth! That means two thousand active storm cells exist simultaneously on the globe every minute.1

That’s hard to grasp! But here’s something else to “pour” over. God is continually sending down His showers of spiritual blessings on us, and we have more to come in the future. Harold Hoehner said, “[These blessings are] defined as ‘spiritual.’ In the Old Testament the benefits were primarily material … [and] have their source in the Spirit of God…. So God has blessed the believer with every spiritual benefit necessary for his or her spiritual well-being.”2

Some of these are for us now—peace, joy, forgiveness, grace, fellowship with God, insight into Scripture. Others we’ll experience in eternity. None of us like being caught in a rainstorm, but when it comes to God’s showers, we don’t mind being drenched each day!

Spiritual benefits that come from heaven are for the believers united with Christ, who ascended into heaven.
Dr. Harold Hoehner

  1. “Severe Weather 101: Thunderstorm Basics,” NSSL: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory.
  2. Harold Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Baker Academic, 2002), 167-168.

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Serving Like Christ

Leave a comment

 

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 2:3-8

Listen to Today’s Devotion

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotion

As I visited a patient in the hospital, I was struck by the actions of a young doctor standing with a team of other inexperienced physicians. The group listened as a more seasoned doctor explained about the patient’s health. Suddenly, the patient anxiously announced that she needed to use the bathroom and couldn’t get up. In fact, she couldn’t wait for a nurse’s aide to be summoned to the room.

Amid the frantic scene, the young doctor got a bed pan off the shelf and assisted the patient. When the nurse’s aide arrived, she was shocked to find someone had already assisted the patient. The lead physician proudly acknowledged the assistance of the young doctor.

Jesus didn’t cling to His divinity and refuse to assist humanity. Though He was “in very nature God, [He] did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:6). As a human, Christ was able to become our sin offering and sacrifice Himself for us. He saw our need for help and salvation, and He humbly laid down His life (v. 8). Paul wrote, “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (v. 7).

We’re called to imitate Jesus’ attitude and sacrificial ways in our relationships with others. As He helps us, let’s humbly serve them no matter how lowly the job may seem.

Reflect & Pray

How can you reflect the attitude and ways of Jesus? What will it look like for you to humbly serve someone today?

Thank You, Jesus, for humbly giving Yourself for my sin. Please show me how to sacrificially serve others.

The Forgiveness of God.

Today’s Insights

There’s been some debate about the meaning of Philippians 2:7: “[Jesus] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (esv). The word translated “emptied” comes from the Greek word kenoō, resulting in what is known as the kenosis theory. If Christ “emptied himself” (or “made himself nothing” niv), of what did He empty Himself? Some suggest He emptied Himself of His deity or His divine attributes, but then His sacrifice on the cross would’ve been insufficient. Colossians 2:9 says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” Rather, He emptied Himself of the right to choose how to live and how to make use of His divine attributes—making Himself utterly subject to the Father’s will and “taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7) Today, we can imitate Jesus’ attitude of humility and sacrifice as we serve others.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – AI engine decides which religion is the most rational

Leave a comment

 

A government affairs attorney and Christian apologist named Jay Atkins recently asked a popular AI engine to evaluate the world’s major belief systems and determine which one makes the most sense. He used a two-step framework: which worldview best explains reality, and which one does so while requiring the fewest unsupported assumptions.

In other words, which has the highest explanatory power with the lowest evidentiary burden?

The worldviews in question were atheism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. In seconds, the AI engine concluded that Christianity offers the most reasonable view of the world. Atkins explained the AI’s reasoning:

[Christianity] offers a comprehensive explanation of reality, why the universe exists, why it is ordered, why we are rational and moral beings, and why we long for meaning. At the same time, it concentrates its evidentiary burden into a relatively small number of claims, most notably the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That matters because a worldview that explains everything but requires you to believe a thousand fragile claims is not rational. The most reasonable worldview is the one that explains the most while assuming the least.

On that metric, Christianity wins.

As the “America Reads the Bible” emphasis has continued across the week in Washington, DC, we’ve been thinking about relating God’s word to our secularized culture. We’ve discussed the power of Scripture to change hearts and lives when we submit to its truth in accountable community. Yesterday we focused on that truth in the context of our gravest moral challenge.

Let’s close by exploring the urgency of biblical truth for eternal souls, including the next one you meet today.

“There is salvation in no one else”

The New Testament consistently states that salvation comes only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The apostles declared to the religious leaders of their day, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Our salvation “is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9).

This is only logical. Our sins separate us from our holy God, the only source of eternal life (cf. Psalm 36:9; Acts 17:28; John 14:6), and thus lead to eternal death (Romans 6:23). Only a sinless person who has no sin debt to pay can pay ours vicariously by dying in our place. And there has been only one sinless person in all of human history. Muslims do not claim this for Muhammad, or Buddhists for Buddha, or Jews for their rabbis.

Jesus alone is our sinless Savior (Hebrews 4:15), the “good shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

In addition, Jesus is the only person in history to die and rise from the grave, never to die again. This is also a claim Muslims do not make for Muhammad, or Buddhists for Buddha, or Jews for their rabbis. Of all the great religious leaders of history, only Jesus is alive and active in our world today.

If only Jesus has died to pay for our sins and risen from the grave, only Jesus can forgive our sins and grant us salvation (Ephesians 2:4–5). No matter how fervent Iranians might be in their Shiite Islam, or Buddhists in their Buddhism, or Hindus in their Hinduism, their faith and works cannot save their souls (cf. Romans 8:9).

Scripture also teaches that only those saved by Christ are included in the “book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 13:8), and that “if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

All this to say, we must be “born again” (John 3:7). The most urgent need in all humanity is the need for humans to turn to Christ as Savior. Stated bluntly, every non-Christian you and I know is in danger of eternal separation from God in hell.

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes”

Here’s the problem: most lost people don’t know they are lost. Unlike those who are lost with regard to directions, they are convinced that they are on the right path, or they would change.

A woman died mid-flight recently when she suffered a medical episode and lost consciousness. Members of the panicked cabin crew connected an oxygen mask to her face but failed to connect the mask to the oxygen tank. They sincerely thought they were saving her life, but they were sincerely wrong.

Through many conversations with lost people over the years, I have found that convincing them that they are lost is often the hardest part of the process. They have attached their “mask” and are certain it is working for them.

This is not only because our postmodern culture convinces secularists that their “truth” is just as valid as any other. It is also because “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Solomon observed, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 21:2). As a result, the sinner “makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made” (Psalm 7:15) and now cannot get out.

As Oswald Chambers warned, “The penalty of sin is confirmation in sin. It is not only God who punishes for sin; sin confirms itself in the sinner and gives back full pay. . . . the penalty of sin is that you get used to it and do not know that it is sin.”

What we owe “every lost person”

The good news is that the Holy Spirit can do what you and I cannot by convicting the lost of their sin and drawing them to salvation. Our part is to share the gospel with them and pray for them (Acts 1:8; cf. Leviticus 5:1).

In her latest blog, my wife writes: “Pray for the opportunities to be an evangelist this week. God wants to answer that prayer and use your life for his kingdom purpose.” As has been said, “Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. Sharing God’s word is the work of every Christian.”

I’ll conclude our weeklong discussion of Scripture and secular culture with a statement by David Platt I often quote:

“Every saved person on this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person on this side of hell.”

Do you agree?

Quote for the day:

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” —Charles Spurgeon

Our latest website resources:

 

Denison Forum

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Choose to Forgive

Leave a comment

 

 But Joseph replied, ‘Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.’ So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. 

—Genesis 50:19–21

Scripture:

Genesis 50:19–21 

Joseph’s words to his brothers in Genesis 50:19–21 underscore a hard truth for God’s people. We are called to forgive everyone who wrongs us. Keep in mind that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He spent the better part of his life separated from his beloved father. He became a servant. He spent years in an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit. All because his brothers couldn’t control their jealousy.

Yet, years later, when he was finally reunited with them—when he was perfectly positioned to exact revenge on the siblings who had taken so much from him—this is what he said: “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children” (Genesis 50:19–21 NLT).

Some people get to the end of this story and say, “I could never forgive someone who did that to me.” But the spiritual reality is that they can—and must.

Jesus said, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25 NLT). There is no asterisk or fine print listing the offenses that are excluded from His command. Jesus expects us to forgive those who have wronged us. Those who have taken advantage of us. Those who have slandered us. Those who have made fun of us. Those who have betrayed us.

And if we try to argue that someone doesn’t deserve our forgiveness, we’re left with an inescapable truth: That’s what makes us the perfect people to forgive, because we know how it is to receive forgiveness we don’t deserve. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT).

We may not always feel like forgiving. We may see people who have wronged us and feel our blood begin to boil. That’s when we need to say, “As an act of faith, as a step of obedience to Jesus Christ, I forgive this person.”

It’s been said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” We should forgive not only for the sake of others, but also for the sake of our own mental and spiritual health. We must place our anger, pain, and desire to get even in God’s hands so that we’re no longer tormented by them.

Is there someone you need to forgive today? Are you harboring a grudge toward someone? Forgive. Forgive whoever has hurt you. As Jesus said in Luke 6:37, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven” (NLT).

Reflection Question: What would forgiveness look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – God Is Omnipotent

Leave a comment

 

by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” (Jeremiah 32:17)

The Genesis record of creation generates more hostility among men than any other message. Even secular atheists claim to respect the humanitarian teachings of Jesus, but they bristle irrationally when the Lord Jesus is identified as the Creator. Perhaps this is because the evidence for God’s omnipotence is displayed so openly and vividly by the “greatness of his might” (Isaiah 40:26).

The God who can speak the billions of galaxies into existence with the “breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6) is a God who can cast ungodly men into eternal hell for their defiance and rebellion against “the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). Conversely, the God who “stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7) is able to “save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him” (Hebrews 7:25).

No wonder the psalmist expresses the praise that all men should declare: “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness” (Psalm 145:3–6).

When the Lord Jesus was formally invested at the great assembly around the throne, the entire throng burst into the song “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). Each of us would do well to carry that song in our hearts every day. HMM III

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Praise and the Presence of God

Leave a comment

 

God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Psalm 47:5-6 (NIV)

We know that Psalms is filled with praise for God, but it also includes many instructions for us, as His people, to praise Him. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), and when we praise Him, He comes and dwells in our praise.

Praise can be anything from simply saying “Thank You” to God for something He has done for us to telling others about His goodness. Praise can be musical or words without music, but it all glorifies God for the good things He has done, is doing, and will do in the future.

There is fullness of joy in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11), so the more we praise Him, the greater our joy will be. Under the Old Covenant, people had to bring sacrifices of animals, grain, or other things as a means of covering their sin. But now under the New Covenant, Jesus has paid for all our sins, and God says the sacrifice we are to bring is one of praise (Hebrews 9:12, 13:15). This sacrifice of praise is the fruit of our lips (our words) glorifying God. We can see that praise is another great way to use our words and fill them with life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I praise You for who You are and all that You have done. You are amazing, awesome, and to be praised greatly at all times and in every situation. Help me to be mindful to praise You every day. I love You, Lord.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – We Are Witnesses

Leave a comment

 

Read Ruth 4:9–12

Witnesses played an active role in ancient Israel’s judicial system. They were necessary to ensure fairness and accountability. As the nearer guardian exited the courtroom, Boaz turned to the elders and the crowd and reminded them of their place in these legal proceedings: “Today you are witnesses” (v. 9).

Then he pronounced the two rights that the nearer redeemer had ceded to him, making sure the details were clear. In his formal statement, he specified: “I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon” (v. 9), ensuring that the legal account was accurate.

Next, Boaz proclaimed his right to take “Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow,” as his wife, and he underscored his motive (v. 10). In contrast to the other guardian’s selfish posture, Boaz’s purpose was to honor Elimelek and preserve his name—his act of hesed. Everyone at the gate responded, “We are witnesses” (v. 11). Then they bestowed a three-part blessing on Boaz.

First, the witnesses asked the Lord to bless Ruth with fertility, comparable to that of Rachel and Leah, matriarchs of Israel. Extraordinarily, they invited Ruth, a foreigner, into this honored position. Second, they prayed that Boaz would prosper and “be famous” (v. 11)—in other words, that his name and reputation would live on with his ancestors. Third, they prayed, “May your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah” (v. 12). In a similar situation, Tamar became pregnant with twins by her father-in-law Judah after her husband died (Genesis 38). Her son Perez was first in the line that led to Boaz.

Perhaps most importantly, the witnesses recognize that the Lord alone is the source of all blessing. Any benefit Boaz would enjoy would be by His hand alone.

Go Deeper

What was extraordinary about Boaz’s loving kindness to Ruth? What acts of hesed have you witnessed?

Pray with Us

Loving Father, echoing today’s reading, we acknowledge that You are the giver of good gifts, that all our blessings come from You, and everything we have is Yours. Your love endures forever!

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.Isaiah 43:1

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Light and Love

Leave a comment

 

NEW!Listen Now

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

Recommended Reading: Matthew 5:14-16

Perhaps you have been blessed enough to know a person who embodies love. Not only do they say loving things and perform loving deeds, but even when they are not speaking or acting, they still manifest a spirit of love that is undeniable. When you are around such a person, you wonder what the explanation is for their consistent, loving personality.

It is telling that Jesus cited agape love (unconditional, selfless love) as being the primary characteristic of His followers. He didn’t say that His followers would be known for their teaching, preaching, evangelism, churches, missionary efforts, or any other worthy traits. Instead He said that one trait would mark them as His followers: unconditional, selfless love. He said “love for one another”—meaning love among those who are His disciples. But He also said that the “light” of His loving life in them should shine so brightly that the whole world would see it (Matthew 5:14-16).

The fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). Ask God to help you become a person who embodies the light and love of Christ—so that the world will recognize Christ as the source.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Rivers to Cross

Leave a comment

 

I am with you as I was with Moses. Joshua 3:7

Today’s Scripture

Joshua 3:9-11, 13-17

Listen to Today’s Devotion

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotion

When Chris McCandless wandered off the grid and into the Alaskan wilderness, he expected to return. But he crossed the Teklanika in April, well before summer ice-melt would swell that river into an impassable torrent. Months later, out of food, McCandless couldn’t get back. His tragic death is memorialized in book and film.

The people of ancient Israel faced a crucial river crossing in order to enter the promised land. However, “the Jordan [was] at flood stage” (Joshua 3:15), a challenge that would grow their faith. God told Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses” (v. 7).

Joshua told the people, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you” (v. 11). Taking the ark, the priests stepped into the Jordan, and “the water from upstream stopped flowing” (vv. 15-16). The entire nation stepped across on a dry riverbed (v. 17).

From time to time we’ll face “river crossings”—impossible situations that can grow our faith if we’ll turn to the one who makes the way across. The greatest of these crossings is from this life into the next. No matter what it is, the God who was with Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites also makes a way for us.

Reflect & Pray

What “river crossing” do you face today? How have you seen God show His power on your behalf in the past?

Thank You, dear Jesus, that You make the way across any river I face, including the final one.

Today’s Insights

God personally led Israel out of Egypt, through the sea, across the wilderness, and through the Jordan River (Joshua 3:13-17) into the promised land. These miracles are explainable only by God’s presence among them. At Mount Sinai, Moses had confessed, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16). God’s presence is vital for us today too and the primary source of our witness to an onlooking world. No matter what situations we face, He’ll go with us and make a way for us.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Israel to promote LGBTQ festival near Sodom and Gomorrah

Leave a comment

 

You read that headline correctly. Organizers in Israel are planning “Pride Land,” a four-day event this June at the Dead Sea to promote the LGBTQ community and to highlight the region as a destination for LGBTQ tourists.

The fact that the Dead Sea is the likely area of Sodom and Gomorrah has not gone unnoticed by commentators across the cultural spectrum.

As the “America Reads the Bible” emphasis continues in Washington, DC, this week, we’re thinking together about relating God’s word to our secularized culture. We’ve discussed the power of Scripture to change hearts and lives when we submit to its truth in accountable community.

Today, let’s apply this discussion to the most crucial moral issue of our time. Despite the constant attention our culture gives to LGBTQ issues, today’s topic is even more urgent, not just for millions of lives but for the very future of our nation.

Four reasons for the popularity of abortion

According to Guttmacher data, 1,125,930 abortions were performed by clinicians in the United States in 2025. So-called “medication abortions” account for 63 percent of all abortions in our country. A recent Pew Research Center study adds that nearly four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a majority of Americans continue to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Israel to promote LGBTQ festival near Sodom and Gomorrah →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Question of Why

Leave a comment

 

 But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. 

—Job 23:10

Scripture:

Job 23:10 

“Why?” is a very popular question among God’s people. King David asked why his son rebelled against him and why the people of Israel stopped supporting him. Elijah asked why he was the only remaining prophet to stand for God. Jeremiah asked why he was suffering so much for doing what God had called him to do. Jesus Himself asked why God had forsaken Him.

But no one is more closely associated with the question “Why?” than Job. And for good reason. Job was a righteous man who savored God’s blessings in his life. Those blessings included a loving family and great wealth. Then, in quick succession, thieves plundered his livestock. Fire destroyed his servants and his possessions, leaving him with nothing. A house collapse killed his children. Boils broke out all over his body, leaving him in constant, excruciating pain.

His friends told him that he was to blame for his suffering, that he was facing divine retribution for sin. His wife told him to curse God and die.

Job sincerely believed that his suffering had nothing to do with divine retribution. He wasn’t being punished for anything. But that belief raised some serious questions. Questions that a lot of God’s people ask when they’re faced with trials and suffering. Questions that start with “Why?”

Job put it this way: “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me” (Job 23:3–5 NLT).

The answer that Job received may or may not have satisfied him. And that brings us to a hard truth of the Christian faith: God doesn’t work His will for our ultimate comfort, security, or benefit. He works His will for His glory. He wants His people to recognize who He is and what He’s done—and then to worship and give thanks accordingly. That’s what we were created to do. That’s what puts us in perfect alignment with Him. That’s what gives us a soul-deep sense of fulfillment and joy.

To accomplish that, God occasionally puts us in situations from which only He can deliver us. He allows circumstances to test us so that we will draw closer to Him and rely on His resources alone to “survive and thrive.”

That way, we can’t “thank our lucky stars” or compliment ourselves on our own cleverness or resourcefulness. Rather, we must say, “Only God could have done this.” God clearly says in Scripture that He will not give His glory to another (see Isaiah 42:8).

Job honestly admitted his struggles and his need for answers. Then he added what would become a classic statement of faith: “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10 NLT). Job was saying, “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why God has allowed these things to happen. But I know this: When I am tested, my faith will become purer and more precious.”

That was God’s objective for Job. And it’s His objective for us, too.

Reflection Question: How can you “come out pure as gold” from a struggle you’re facing right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – He Knows

Leave a comment

 

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.” (Revelation 2:19)

Seven times in the letters to His seven representative churches in Revelation 2 and 3 the Lord Jesus says, “I know thy works” (Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). Whatever we are doing—or not doing—He knows!

Sometimes such knowledge can bring—or at least should bring—great consternation. He knows, for example, all our hypocrisies: “I know . . . that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (3:1). He also knows when our outward display of religious activity masks a real heart-attitude of compromising self-interest. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot” (v.15).

Yet, He also knows when our service is genuine and our testimony is God-glorifying and faithful. “I know . . . thy labour, and thy patience . . . . I know . . . thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith” (2:2, 13).

Of these seven testimonies of His knowledge, the central one is in our text. He knows when we really love Him, for the “charity” mentioned is nothing less than agape, or unselfish love. He knows all about our sincere “service” and true “faith” in His Word as well as our “patience” of hope.

Perhaps the most precious of His assurances, however, is that to the suffering church at Smyrna. “I know thy . . . tribulation, and poverty” (2:9). When He says that He knows, the sense is that He understands, because He has been through it all Himself. Therefore, “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15–16). HMM

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – When Things Don’t Go as Planned

Leave a comment

 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

Isaiah 55:8 (AMP)

We want things to work out in our lives in certain ways, but experience teaches us that we don’t always get what we want. We have a plan for the day, and suddenly something unexpected and unwanted happens—and our plan must change. At times like this, we can choose to trust God or to be upset.

Since being upset won’t change anything, why waste time doing it? Choose to trust that God can work out the change for your good and do something even better than what you had planned. Ask Him for anything you want to ask Him for, but trust Him to give you what is best.

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for directing my life according to Your plan, not mine. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Christ Covers Us 

Leave a comment

 

Play

We are poor. Spiritually for sure; monetarily, perhaps. We’ve buried our dreams, desires, and aspirations. Like the mother with Lupus or the businessman in the unemployment line, we’re out of options. Yet Christ approached us while we were yet sinners. “Will you cover us?” we asked him, and grace smiled. He gave us grace.

Not just mercy, mind you, but grace. Grace goes beyond mercy. Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance, but grace threw him a party. Mercy prompted the Samaritan to bandage the wounds of the victim, but grace prompted him to leave his credit card as payment for the victim’s care. Mercy forgave the thief on the cross; grace escorted him into paradise. Mercy pardons us; grace woos and weds us. Grace does this. God does this. Grace is God walking into your world with a sparkle in his eye and an offer that’s hard to resist.

 

 

Home

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Boaz Negotiates

Leave a comment

 

Read Ruth 4:3–8

In many stories, there is a moment when “all hope is lost.” It’s that pivotal point when the main character suffers a seemingly final defeat. We wonder, will he ever achieve his goal?

In today’s passage, Boaz faces an “all hope is lost” moment. Having engaged the nearer guardian-redeemer and having gathered the legal assembly (4:1–2), Boaz began negotiating. He explained that Naomi was “selling” the land she inherited from Elimelech. According to the law, a widow could hold the right to work her deceased husband’s property until she married again, at which point the rights reverted to her husband’s clan.

The land could not be sold permanently (Lev. 25:23), so Elimelech had probably “sold” the rights to his land before he left for Moab. When Naomi returned, she did not have the means to buy them back. The nearest relative could redeem the land for her (Lev. 25:25). This is the first time Elimelech’s land is mentioned. It hasn’t been the focus of the story. Instead, relationships have taken center stage.

At the city gate, Boaz called on the nearer guardian-redeemer to buy back the rights. The nearer guardian undoubtedly knew of Naomi’s situation before this meeting, yet he had taken no initiative. But when Boaz confronted him publicly, he agreed to redeem it. Was all hope lost for Boaz? The land was going to this nearer guardian. And what of Ruth?

In front of witnesses, Boaz called on the nearer guardian-redeemer to marry Ruth and maintain the name of the deceased. This wasn’t required by Law, but it certainly fulfilled the spirit of it. It was the right thing to do. The audience holds their breath. The tension is quickly relieved. The nearer guardian showed his true colors and changed his mind. The scene ends with his nonverbal abdication when he removed his sandal.

Go Deeper

Have you ever selfishly declined to do the right thing? On the opposite end, when have you sacrificially acted on someone else’s behalf?

Pray with Us

As the story of Ruth unfolds before us, we thank You, Lord, for this beautiful, strong, faithful woman. What a joy it is to know that You are with us in the same way You’ve been with Ruth!

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.Psalm 25:21

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Forgive Like God

Leave a comment

 

NEW!Listen Now

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Recommended Reading: Romans 5:6-11

We occasionally hear expressions like, “It takes one to know one,” and, “You can’t give away what you don’t already have.” Those words certainly apply when it comes to extending forgiveness to others—especially to our enemies.

Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:32 is an example. The first half of the verse is not unexpected—an exhortation to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward others. But it is the second half of the verse that is arresting in its implication: We are to forgive others just as God in Christ has forgiven us. We might be inclined to be kind and forgiving toward others without taking the standard of God’s forgiveness into account. And how did God forgive? Totally and unconditionally—for past, present, and future sins. In fact, God forgave us “when we were enemies” (Romans 5:10). So that is our standard when it comes to forgiving those who have hurt us—past, present, and future—unconditional forgiveness.

Take a moment to do an inventory of your forgiveness toward others. If there is someone you have not forgiven totally and unconditionally, purpose to forgive them as God has forgiven you.

The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.
William Blake

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Staying in Step

Leave a comment

 

Accept one another . . . to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

Today’s Scripture

Romans 15:5-7

Listen to Today’s Devotion

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotion

Lillian Colón, who grew up in an orphanage, beat out four hundred dancers to win a coveted spot on a world-renowned dance team. She performed with that group, with its tightly ordered synchronized choreography, until her mid-forties. Now teaching dance at age seventy, she imparts to students her greatest lesson from precision artistry: Work together. “On and off the stage, our lives are deeply intertwined,” she said, “and we all fare better when we support and care for one another.”

The apostle Paul knew the importance of this principle. Harmony in Christ points praise to its true purpose—glorifying God. Paul taught this lesson to believers in Rome, both Jewish and gentile, to encourage their unity. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” he wrote (Romans 15:5). This was “so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 6).

Competing voices won’t produce this result. Joining together to praise God, with no one person or group discounting another, gives unity in Christ its true purpose. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you,” wrote Paul, “in order to bring praise to God” (v. 7). When we seek God’s help to do this, He inspires our common voice as we step together and give Him glory.

Reflect & Pray

Whose voice can you join in praise to God? How can you prioritize unified praise?

Please open my heart, dear God, to unified praise with others.

Today’s Insights

In Romans 15, Paul says the foundation for the unity of believers in Jesus is to have “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” (vv. 5-6). Unity is found in following Christ’s example of self-giving love, not in having identical beliefs, backgrounds, or preferences. The goal of this unity is worship “so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 6). In fact, unity itself is a form of worship: “Accept one another . . . in order to bring praise to God” (v. 7).

Romans is especially focused on Jewish and gentile unity. Paul quotes Israel’s Scriptures to emphasize that Jews and gentiles worshiping and glorifying God together fulfills God’s promises (vv. 8-12). In the apostle’s vision, Jewish and gentile believers finding unity in worship is evidence that the united worship of believers offers a picture of creation’s full restoration, when all will join in praising their Creator (see 8:18-23; Isaiah 45:23).

Be inspired by a lifestyle of worship and how it impacts you today

 

http://www.odb.org

Daily Devotions

Denison Forum – Tim Cook’s advice for Apple’s next CEO

Leave a comment

 

When is God’s word most transformative in our lives?

The big tech news of the week has been Tim Cook’s decision to step down as Apple’s CEO and his advice to his successor. Under his watch, the company grew from roughly $350 billion in market cap to $4 trillion.

According to the Wall Street Journal, when Cook took over for Steve Jobs, the legendary genius looked him in the eyes and gave him a piece of advice that guided all his decisions. “Don’t ask what I would do,” Jobs told Cook. “Just do the right thing.”

What advice would he give John Ternus, his successor at Apple? “I would probably say the same thing.”

“Just do the right thing” is excellent advice. The question, of course, is, how do we know the “right thing”?

As the “America Reads the Bible” emphasis continues in Washington, DC, this week, we’re thinking together about relating God’s word to our secularized culture. We’ve explored the power of Scripture to change hearts and lives when we submit to its truth in the power of the Spirit.

There’s another dimension to this discussion we need to consider today.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Tim Cook’s advice for Apple’s next CEO →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Problem with Envy

Leave a comment

 

 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 

—Matthew 23:12

Scripture:

Matthew 23:12 

A woman strolling on a beach noticed a man catching crabs. Every time he caught one, he placed it in an open bucket.

“Don’t you need a lid on that bucket?” the woman asked.

“No,” the man replied, “they can’t get out.”

“Why not?” the woman asked. “The bucket isn’t that big.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” the man explained. “Whenever one crab tries to go over the side, the others reach up and pull it back down again.”

Sounds like human behavior, doesn’t it? There are many people who don’t like to see others reach for the top. When a person begins to climb, they think, “How dare you succeed? How dare you do better than me? How dare you get that promotion? How dare you get that attention? How dare you do well when I’m not doing just as well? You get back down here with me!”

Envy and jealousy are sure signs of misplaced priorities. They spring from a me-first attitude like the kind Jesus was talking about when He said, “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 NLT).

It’s been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. And it’s hard to deny the truth in that. Left unchecked, envy and jealousy can eat us up inside.

Proverbs 14:30 warns, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (NLT).

James 3:16 says, “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (NLT).

And Galatians 5:26 warns, “Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another” (NLT).

What’s more, envy causes us to take our eyes off what God has done for us. If we pay too close attention to the good things in other people’s lives, we’re not paying close enough attention to the blessings in our own lives. And we miss the opportunity to give thanks and grow closer to the One who gave them.

The best way to deal with envy is to recognize it as sin and repent of it. We may try to rationalize our jealousy, but we need to realize that it’s wrong and ask God to forgive us. God wants us to put the needs of others above our own, to love one another, and to care for one another. These are essential aspects of our Christian faith.

Instead of worrying about what other people have, let’s be thankful that we’re even drawing breath in our lungs. That in itself is a gift from God. And if God lifts us to an exalted position, then that’s His grace. If He lifts someone else, that also is His grace. None of us deserve it; it’s all the grace of God. Our responsibility is to be faithful to what God has called us to do.

Reflection Question: How can you keep envy from getting a foothold in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Buried with Him

Leave a comment

 

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

The burial of Christ after His death was extremely important for two reasons. First, it assures us that His death was a physical death and that His resurrection was a bodily resurrection. Second, His burial—like His death and resurrection—has profound doctrinal and practical significance for the believer’s individual life.

All this is pictured, as our text points out, by the ordinance of baptism, displaying symbolically the death of Christ for sin and the death of the believer to sin, then the burial of the corruptible body of flesh (which, for all but Christ, returns to dust in accordance with God’s Curse). Finally, it reflects the resurrection, demonstrating Christ’s eternal victory over sin and death, and, in the case of the believer, the beginning of the new life in Christ.

The same truth appears again in Colossians 2:12: “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Although these are the only New Testament passages where the doctrinal implications of Christ’s burial are specifically mentioned, the spiritual truths taught thereby permeate all the Scriptures. If our old bodies of sin are—at least positionally—already in the grave, then it is altogether grotesque for them still to be walking around in sin. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:5). We shall (not “should,” as misleadingly rendered in our text) walk in newness of life, triumphant daily over sin through the implanted resurrection life of our victorious Savior. HMM

 

 

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

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