Daily Archives: June 17, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Greater Works

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June 17, 2026

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Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
John 14:12

Recommended Reading: Acts 1:8-9

It is the nature of God’s economy for there to be a continual state of increase. The seeds in the apples on a single apple tree will produce multiple times more trees. Even Jesus spoke of Himself as a singular vine from which multiple branches bear an abundance of fruit (John 15:1-8).

Jesus told His disciples that they would produce “greater works” than He did. In the original Greek text the word “works” does not appear—only the adjective “greater.” “Works” is a good translation because Jesus had just mentioned “works” in the first part of John 14:12. But some modern translations have supplied “greater things,” which broadens the scope of what Jesus may have been predicting to include everything Jesus did, not just the miracles He mentioned in verse 11.

If you believe in Jesus Christ, you should expect to duplicate His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit (verses 16-17). Ask God to show you the “greater works” He wants you to carry out.

The unfinished task which lies before us is no greater than the unlimited power of God behind us.
Fred D. Jarvis

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – With Friends Like These . . .

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To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13

Today’s Scripture

Job 11:7-20

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Today’s Devotion

“I know you better than you know yourself!” As a young man, I heard that confident declaration from a friend. Her intentions were good, but my complicated life as an adopted missionary kid had been shaped across four continents and cultures. She didn’t really know me.

Zophar, a friend of Job’s, sounded wise in his assessment of Job’s difficulties. “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” Zophar asked him (Job 11:7). “They are higher than the heavens above” (v. 8). Who can argue with that? But then Zophar dared speak of something he couldn’t know: Job’s heart. Without evidence, he proclaimed, “If you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then . . . you will stand firm and without fear” (vv. 14-15).

Job responded sarcastically, “Wisdom will die with you! But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?” (12:2-3). Job’s reality was so complex that even he didn’t know what was taking place (see Job 1-2). He correctly said, “To God belong wisdom and power” (12:13). It didn’t come from Zophar, who presumed to have authority and insight that weren’t his.

Our friends may need our loving counsel from time to time. But usually friends in crisis need us to bring their names in prayer to the one who truly does know them.

Reflect & Pray

When has someone been truly helpful to you in a crisis? How can you help another in a difficult situation today?

Heavenly Father, please help me rejoice and relax in the wonderful truth that you truly know me and still love me.

Today’s Insights

Some scholars have claimed that the remarkable story of Job is mere allegory and didn’t really happen. The Scriptures, however, refer to Job as an historical figure. Ezekiel twice mentions “Noah, Daniel, and Job” (Ezekiel 14:14, 20). And James writes of Job’s perseverance and how God used it (James 5:11). These writers of inspired Scripture considered Job to be real. His story warns us against the dangers of offering mere words instead of compassion and understanding as we comfort suffering friends. Instead of telling them where they’re wrong, how much better it is to listen to them and pray with them.

Read a prayer for when you struggle to ask for help.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Will the latest deal actually end America’s war with Iran?

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What happened: The United States and Iran formally signed a 60-day ceasefire on Sunday. The text of the agreement has yet to be released, though, and conflicting reports abound as to what they’ve actually agreed to do.

Why it matters: Both the US and Iran have often shown more interest in controlling the narrative than revealing the truth. That hardly makes them unique among global governments, but it does require a good bit of discernment when attempting to understand where that truth actually resides.

The backstory: What’s in the Memorandum of Understanding?

Details have begun to emerge on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that leadership from the United States and Iran agreed to this past weekend. The agreement was signed digitally on Sunday, with a more public ceremony tentatively scheduled for this Friday in Geneva. US officials initially announced that the text of the agreement would be released within 24–48 hours, but later walked that back, promising to publish the MOU after the in-person signing.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Will the latest deal actually end America’s war with Iran? →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Gaining an Enemy

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 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” 

—1 Peter 5:8–9

Scripture:

In our next set of devotions, we’re going to look at considering the cost of following Jesus. The first cost we’ll consider is the spiritual enemy we gain when we start to live for Christ.

Anyone who has ever experienced the Christian life knows it is the greatest life there is. God takes a life that was empty, aimless, and headed to a certain judgment, and He turns it around and transforms it. He removes all our sin. That’s more than enough right there, but then He puts the righteousness of Jesus Christ into our spiritual bank account. That’s called justification. He removes the guilt that haunted us, fills the emptiness inside us, and takes up residence in our hearts. This all comes as a result of the gospel being believed and followed. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that there are some new problems that come along with all of that. You get rid of an old set of problems and inherit new ones. As the great Bible commentator Ray Stedman once remarked, “A Christian is one who is: Completely fearless, Continually cheerful, and Constantly in trouble.”

Once you become a Christian, you gain a very aggressive adversary who has set his crosshairs on you. That adversary is the devil, Satan, and he wants to undermine you. He wants to bring you down. The Bible warns that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT). To “suffer persecution” means to be hunted, to be harassed.

We need to be aware of this so that we’re not surprised when attacks come. The Christian life isn’t a playground; it’s a battleground. I think a lot of people believe in a watered-down gospel, and thus they have a watered-down faith that isn’t really faith at all. They’ve heard so many sermonettes that they’ve turned into Christianettes. They’re not prepared for spiritual battle.

We must not make that mistake. We need to understand who we’re up against. The apostle Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).

There’s no need to panic. But we must come to terms with the reality that if we live a godly life, persecution will follow. We need to prepare ourselves for the inevitable attacks. We need to strengthen our areas of vulnerability. We need to stay close to the Lord through prayer and Bible study.

Our enemy is formidable, but he can be resisted. God has equipped us with everything we need to stand strong against the devil.

 

Reflection question: What are the best strategies for standing strong against our spiritual enemy? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Reasonable Service

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1–2)

For those who would know God’s will for their lives, these verses provide the definitive answer. The key is sacrifice, not conformity. It is paradoxical but wonderfully true that real living is dying—dying to the world and living unto Christ! This great theme is emphasized repeatedly throughout the New Testament (Galatians 2:20, etc.).

Whether paradoxical or not, the principle of sacrificial living for Christ is eminently reasonable service! “Reasonable” is the Greek logikos, from which we derive our word “logical.” “Service” is the Greek latreia, referring to service as a priest. We have been made “an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). It is perfectly logical that we render such lifelong service to the great Friend who laid down His life for us in order to take away our sins and give us everlasting life with Him in the ages to come.

It is also logical that we should not conform our lives to the standards of this present evil world. Why should we imitate this world’s materialism or humanism, in dress or music or morals or anything else? We have far higher and more lasting standards, guided by the Word of God and by minds renewed in Christ.

Our minds once were “blinded” by “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), but now they can be guided by “the mind of the Lord” (Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16). Here is the key to knowing that good and acceptable and perfect will of God! HMM

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Unwavering Trust

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O my God, in You I [have unwavering] trust [and I rely on You with steadfast confidence], do not let me be ashamed or my hope in You be disappointed.

Psalm 25:2 (AMP)

We read in today’s scripture about having “unwavering trust” and “steadfast confidence” in the Lord. Most of us would think, Oh, yes, I want to have unwavering trust and steadfast confidence in God! We instantly know that such firm, unshakeable trust in Him would increase our peace and stability. But this kind of trust and confidence does not form overnight. It takes time.

As we journey through life, most of us develop habits of worry, anxiety, and fear. We may also become self-reliant to some degree, trusting our own abilities instead of trusting God. We may learn to seek confidence in the things of the world, even though they continually prove faulty. Overcoming ingrained habits in our thoughts or emotions is a process and unweaving them usually happens step by step over a period of weeks, months, or years.

This is why perseverance is so important. When your trust in God does waver, don’t feel condemned. Simply repent and choose to trust Him again. Every time you trust Him, and every time He comes through for you, your trust and confidence will grow stronger.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to grow continually in unwavering trust and steadfast confidence in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Closet Prayers 

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Religious leaders loved to make theater out of their prayers. The show nauseated Jesus. In Matthew 6:6 he said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.”

The words surely stunned Jesus’ audience. The people were simple farmers and stonemasons.  They couldn’t enter the temple, but they could enter their closets. The point? He’s low on fancy, high on accessibility. You needn’t woo him with location or wow him with eloquence. It’s the power of a simple prayer.

Join me every day for four weeks to pray four minutes. A simple prayer. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Fight, Flight, or Rejoice!

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Read 1 Peter 4:12–19

Psychologists and medical professionals have long talked about the fight or flight response that people typically have when faced with a threatening situation. Our natural tendency is to either prepare for battle or run away.

Peter’s audience was going through a stressful and threatening time. It was so intense that Peter calls it a “fiery ordeal” (v. 12). While we do not know all the specifics of the situation, believers were suffering for their faith in Christ (v. 16). Peter’s advice to these troubled believers was not to run away and hide. He also did not counsel them to fight back in word or deed. Instead, they should rejoice (v. 13)! The reason is that in their suffering they “participate in the sufferings of Christ” (v. 13).

The same is true for us today. If we are publicly shamed or humiliated for our faith in Christ, it helps us identify more closely with our Savior. Our suffering is also not the end of the story. God will one day vindicate His children. Peter goes on to encourage the church that they will be “overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (v. 13).

Now, it is possible to suffer for reasons that have nothing to do with our faith in Christ. Sometimes it may be tempting to interpret any opposition as persecution. But the reality is that sometimes it is just our own bad behavior that got us into that situation. Peter knew that all too well. He warned his audience, “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler” (v. 15). In those situations, we need to repent.

Go Deeper

Have you experienced opposition when you took a stand for Jesus? How are we to respond when attacked for our faith? Know that we can trust God to make all things right in His perfect timing.

Pray with Us

Dear Lord, we praise You for Your plan of salvation! We are full of gratitude that, though we suffer on earth, it is not the end of the story. One day, we will be with You forever.

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed.1 Peter 4:14

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/