Daily Archives: March 7, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Seeing More Clearly: Seeing God Clearly

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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8

Recommended Reading: Revelation 22:1-5

Polishing the mirror on a giant telescope is a complex process. Removing imperfections from the surface is necessary to achieve a clear image. If one of these telescope mirrors was the size of the United States, the tallest “mountain” on the surface would be less than one inch tall.1 The more imperfections removed, the purer the reflection of the heavens will be.

There is also a connection between purity and “seeing” God. Since no one has “seen” God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12), what did Jesus mean when He said that “the pure in heart . . . shall see God”? Ultimately, believers will see the Lord in His presence (Revelation 22:4), but for now Jesus’ words must be interpreted spiritually. The apostle John wrote that “he who does evil has not seen God” (3 John 11). Meaning the evildoer has not recognized God in His worthiness and righteousness. Just as the imperfections in a telescopic mirror can blur the vision of the heavens, so the imperfections of the heart can blur a true vision of God.

Purpose daily to live with “clean hands and a pure heart” in order to see God and enjoy His presence (Psalm 24:4).

The pure heart is God’s paradise where He delights to walk.
Thomas Watson

  1. SpaceRef, “World’s Most Advanced Mirror for Giant Telescope Completed,” Space News, October 24, 2012.

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – One in Christ

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There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-7

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

In January 1967, the town of Winneconne discovered it had been mistakenly omitted from the official Wisconsin state road map, costing the town vital tourist revenue. So the town decided to secede from Wisconsin and become its own sovereign state on July 21 of that year. Some say the secession was a move to embarrass the state government, while others claim it was a tongue-in-cheek act of humor. In any case, months of negotiations resulted in state and town coming together again on July 22, 1967.

Most division isn’t as good-natured or as easily resolved. Division is such a threat that the book of Proverbs lists “the person who stirs up conflict” (6:19) as one of seven things “that are detestable to [God]” (v. 16).

Division may not only cause problems but misrepresents Jesus and His Father. The night before the cross, Christ prayed that His followers would be one in Him, “that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21).

Jesus made it clear that our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ (or lack of it) impacts the world’s belief in Him! Perhaps that’s why Paul told the Ephesians, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). May we allow the Spirit of Christ to make us one—that the world may be drawn to Him.

Reflect & Pray

What are some of the things that can divide you from other believers? How can those potential points of conflict be resolved, so that the body of Christ might know and display unity?

 

Dear Father, please give me a heart for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Learn how you can cultivate unity within your church and community.

The book of Obadiah is the least read book of the Bible. Check out this offering from Reclaim Today to learn how to apply the teachings of Obadiah.

Today’s Insights

Disunity keeps the church weak and ineffective in its role of making disciples. In John 17, Jesus prayed for unity among believers in Him (vv. 20-23). He knew they’d need each other as they faced trials because of their faith. Paul also had much to say about the importance of unity. In Ephesians 4, he urged believers “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (v. 1) and to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (v. 3). In Philippians, he called Euodia and Syntyche “to be of the same mind in the Lord” (4:2). Finally, in Colossians he urged his readers to “bear with each other and forgive one another” and “put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (3:13-14). When believers in Christ are unified in love for Him, they bring hope and light to a dark world (Matthew 5:14-16).

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – What to know about the church in Iran

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Where is Christianity in Iran’s history, and where could it be in its future?

The implications of the current Iranian conflict are far-reaching and go well beyond the geopolitical discussions you might hear discussed on social channels or cable news. While our media is focused on international trade outcomes, the White House’s foreign policy, and the prospects of stability for the region, an underrated impact is being felt by the Christian community in Iran. Though it may appear inconsequential on the surface, the Iranian church’s future is intertwined with the nation’s future and ultimately carries eternal significance.

Christianity is a persecuted minority today, but has a pivotal presence in Iran’s history, dating back to the Apostolic days of the church. Tradition holds that Thaddeus and Bartholomew visited modern-day Iran in the decades after the resurrection, even establishing a since-reconstructed monastery around 68 AD. Over the next two millennia, the church took a roller coaster ride. From the Muslim conquest, Ottoman rule, the modern missions movement, and the Iranian revolution to today, the church expanded and contracted, but always persisted.

While God has preserved a remnant of believers since the earliest days of the church, being a follower of Christ in Iran has not been an enviable position. Islam-sanctioned persecution has marked much of Persian history for believers. It is only by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that anyone would leave behind the “comforts” of Islam for the dangers of Christianity.

Continue reading Denison Forum – What to know about the church in Iran →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Circumstantially Speaking

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 Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.’ 

—Judges 6:36–37

Scripture:

Judges 6:36-37 

God is multilingual. He can speak to us in any number of ways. He speaks to us through His Word, certainly. He speaks to us through prayer. He speaks to us through our conscience. The Bible records several instances in which God spoke to people through dreams and visions.

But God also speaks through circumstances. Although I’m not one to base major life decisions on circumstances alone, there have been times when I’ve sensed that something was the will of God and then had my sense confirmed when things fell into place circumstantially. At other times, circumstances have made it obvious that God was saying no to a particular path or request.

A classic example of God’s speaking through circumstances can be found in His calling of Gideon to rescue the people of Israel. Gideon was an extremely humble man, almost to a fault. He didn’t see himself as a rescuer, and he had a hard time wrapping his head around the notion that God saw him in such a light.

So, he humbly put God to the test. “Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised’” (Judges 6:36–37 NLT).

God graciously did as Gideon asked. He intervened ever so slightly in the process of condensation to confirm Gideon’s calling. He spoke through circumstances.

In the story of Jonah, God spoke to His prophet through circumstances that involved, among other things, a storm at sea (see Jonah 1:4), a giant fish (see 1:17), a leafy plant (see 4:6), and a hungry worm (see 4:7).

God still speaks to us through circumstances today. Often, those circumstances involve other people. There have been times when I was listening to someone preach or talking with a friend and suddenly realized that what the person was saying addressed a situation that I was going through—even though the person was completely unaware of my circumstances. It made me realize that God Himself was speaking to me through those individuals.

Maybe God has spoken to you through a pastor or a Christian friend. Or perhaps He has been speaking to you through other circumstances. Listen carefully and remember that God will never contradict His Word.

Reflection Question: How might God be speaking to you through circumstances in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – There Is a Fountain

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by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 21:6)

Christian hymns were often written as deeply moving poems that were later added to music. We dare not exegete hymns to discover spiritual truth, but we can use them as spiritual aids to help focus our scriptural study. One such old-time poem is the favorite “There Is a Fountain” sung in churches today. Its five verses can inspire Christians. Verse one reads,

There is a fountain filled
with blood Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

Before Jesus came, His unique birth was foretold by an angel and prophesied in Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel,” meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He referred to Himself as “a well of water” (John 4:14) available to all.

The true understanding of the communion table, couched in the symbolic, precious words of Scripture (and our hymn), undergirds a lasting memorial to the work of Christ. “This cup is the new testament [i.e., covenant] in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance [i.e., a memorial] of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25).

The blood that was shed applies to believers, blessedly taking away our sin, for “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). A blessed truth indeed! JDM

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Fear Not

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The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Psalm 27:1–2 (AMPC)

Satan is a liar. He lies to people and places images on the picture screen of their minds that show defeat and embarrassment. For this reason, we need to know God’s promises (His Word) so we can cast down the lies of the enemy and refuse to listen to him.

Fear seems to be an epidemic in our society. Are you afraid of anything? Is it rejection, failure, the past, the future, loneliness, driving, aging, the dark, heights, life, or death? The list of fears that people experience can be endless. Satan never runs out of new fears to place in any individual’s life. At least not until she firmly makes her mind up that she will not live in fear.

You can trade in pain and paralysis for power and excitement. Don’t allow feelings of any kind to dominate you, but instead remember that God says, “Fear not.” We must be determined that we will obey Him in this area. Fear may present itself as a feeling, but if we refuse to bow down to it, that is all it is…a feeling!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I make You my refuge and strength today, my present help in whatever trouble I will face. With You by my side, I will not fear, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Worship the Lamb

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Read Revelation 5

Scripture often pictures God as our Shepherd (Psalm 23), including Jesus as our Good Shepherd (John 10). John the Baptist also called Him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This is probably a reference to the Passover lamb, which foreshadowed Christ (1 Cor. 5:7; Isa. 53:7).

These images are the biblical background for the Lamb in Revelation 5. Now that God’s throne room has been described in Revelation 4, the drama of the end times is set to begin. What will happen is written in a scroll with seven seals… but who is worthy to open this scroll (vv. 1–4)? As the tension rises, John weeps because apparently no one can be found.

Then one of the elders tells him that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy (vv. 5–7). This and the Root of David are Messianic titles. John turns and unexpectedly sees “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne.” The seven horns symbolize strength, while the seven eyes symbolize knowledge and wisdom. He takes the scroll from the hand of God.

Three waves of praise follow. First, the four living creatures and the 24 elders play harps, holding golden bowls of incense that represent prayers, and sing of the Lamb’s worthiness, as He has accomplished God’s mission of redemption (vv. 8–10). Second, hosts of angels join in praising the Son’s worthiness to take the scroll and initiate God’s eschatological judgments (vv. 11–12). Third, “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them” join in a thunderous and triumphant doxology for both Father and Son, with the four living creatures saying “Amen” (vv. 13–14; Phil. 2:9–11).

Go Deeper

Scripture often connects creation and salvation, as happens in the songs of Revelation chapters 4 and 5. What are the theological links between these two doctrines? Why are they so important?

Pray with Us

Jesus, You are the Lion and the Lamb. Remind us of Your role in creating all things, and that salvation is through You alone! Thank You for providing us with hope for eternity.

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain.Revelation 5:12

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/