Daily Archives: October 16, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Minding the Mind

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Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?
Job 38:36

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:7-11

Your brain is composed of about 60% fat, floats in cerebrospinal fluid, and weighs about three pounds. It contains 86 billion neurons, consumes 20% of your body’s energy, and operates at speeds of 268 miles per hour.

The most important thing about your brain though is the thoughts that dominate it. The Bible says, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6 NIV).

We must make a conscious effort to fill our mind with Scripture—to read it, study it, and memorize it. We need to meditate on the words of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on Him (see Isaiah 26:3). It is our God who can put wisdom in our minds and understanding in our hearts.

Biblical meditation on Scripture acts as a believer’s medicine because God’s Spirit always uses the balm of His truth to provide lasting comfort and help.
David Saxton

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Ready for Christ’s Return

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Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 3:13-17

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

It was late fall, and my wife and I were going to take a trip by car. The day before our planned departure, it began to snow, and I suddenly realized I hadn’t taken the car in to have snow tires put on. The snowy, deteriorating conditions led to a long line at the tire shop—something I could have avoided with better planning.

Much of life is about getting ready, isn’t it? It’s vital for us to think ahead, prepare for what eventualities might occur, and make sure we’ve planned well.

This is true of our spiritual life as well. In Matthew 24, Jesus pointed out the necessity of being all set for His later return. He told His listeners that they “must be ready” because He will come again (v. 44). And Peter later wrote that believers should prepare themselves ahead of time intellectually and spiritually “to give the reason for the hope that [they] have” (1 Peter 3:15).

Our lives should be ones of preparation. First, we must make sure we’re ready for Jesus’ return by putting our faith in Him. Next, our task is to continually prepare ourselves for service for Him—even if it means to “suffer for doing good” (v. 17). With His help, let’s get ready.

Reflect & Pray

How are you sure you’re ready to meet Jesus when He returns or when you die? What can you do to better prepare to serve and honor God?

Dear Jesus, please help me use my time wisely—preparing for what You want me to do. While I handle daily responsibilities, help me to also set aside times for spiritual preparation.

Today’s Insights

After we’ve placed our trust in Jesus as our Savior and are ready to meet Him when He returns, we’re called to share our hope in Christ with others. The apostle Peter tells us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). The sometimes-overlooked key to his instructions on sharing our faith is that there needs to be a catalyst in our lives that causes people to ask about it. That catalyst is a Christlike, hope-filled life, which opens the door to sharing about our relationship with Jesus. Because we live in a desperate world, a life that displays hope can cause people to want what they see in us. God can help us “be prepared” to tell others of our Savior (v. 15), who is our source of hope through His resurrection (1:3).

For further study, read: Die First, Then Comes the End

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Searching for truth in the 2024 Cornell sexual assault case

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What happened: Last month, New York prosecutors reopened the case of a woman who claimed that she was sexually assaulted by seven men at Cornell University in October of 2024. As the story has gone viral over recent weeks, the line between presumption and fact has blurred to a dangerous degree.

Why it matters: At the end of the day, this story seems to have a clear victim and multiple abusers, but no one involved is innocent. And while blame is by no means shared equally, losing sight of that fact only makes it more likely that people will walk away learning the wrong lessons and that something like this will happen again.

The backstory: What happened at Cornell?

On September 28, New York prosecutors officially reopened the case of a woman—referred to as Jane Doe in the court documents—who claimed that she was sexually assaulted by seven men at a Cornell University frat house in October of 2024. Local police did not press criminal charges initially because Jane Doe’s sworn statement back then “described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Searching for truth in the 2024 Cornell sexual assault case →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Good Time to Pray

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 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. 

—Acts 12:5

Scripture:

Acts 12:5 

If you watched a lot of old Westerns back in the day, as I did, you know that the outlaws (who usually wore black hats) riding furiously across mountainous terrain with the stolen loot from the stagecoach robbery would frequently get tripped up by geography.

At some point, someone in the pursuing posse (who usually wore white hats) would shout, “We have ’em now! They’ve ridden into a box canyon!” And everybody knows there’s only one way out of a box canyon.

There are box canyons in life, too—seemingly impossible situations that seem to offer no workable way out and nowhere else to turn. In a box canyon, surrounded by insurmountable obstacles, you find yourself temporarily paralyzed, not knowing what to do. These are the very times when God invites us to pray.

In Acts 12, we find the story of how God took a tragic, even hopeless, situation and turned it around. More to the point, the turnaround was initiated by the power of prayer—the kind of prayer that reverberates throughout the throne room of God and gets an answer.

James and Peter, two key figures in the early Christian church, had been imprisoned for doing God’s work. Tragically, James was put to death. But Peter was still incarcerated, awaiting his fate. All doors to his freedom were closed, except one: the door of prayer.

His fellow church members recognized that “we use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT).

Prayer was and is the church’s secret weapon. Although the devil struck a blow against the church in the death of James, the church gained victory through prayer as Peter was miraculously released. Chained between two Roman soldiers, Peter was awakened in his cell by an angel of the Lord. The chains on his wrists fell to the floor. The angel led Peter past the guards posted in the jail and through the iron gate that separated it from the outside world. The people of the church prayed for Peter’s release, and Peter literally showed up at their door (see Acts 12:6–19).

Prayer still carries the same potential. That’s why it’s essential that Christians learn how to pray effectively. The reality is that all of us will face difficulties, hardships, problems, and more than a few box canyons. We need to discover what God can do through the power of prayer.

Prayer for the Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically lift our needs and requests before the Lord. Jesus said that we should always pray and not lose heart (see Luke 18:1). Prayer is something we should never avoid and never grow tired of. Prayer should be woven through our day like a bright gold thread woven through a piece of fabric. The more we pray, the more we will see the kingdom of God break through the darkness of seemingly impossible situations.

Reflection question: What seemingly impossible situation in your life might be changed by prayer? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – This Generation

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:34)

This exciting prediction by Christ climaxes His great prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives. He had given His disciples the signs they had requested, then discussed the coming great tribulation and finally His glorious return in the clouds of heaven. And “all these things” were to be fulfilled before “this generation” would pass away.

And what generation would that be? Many commentators have taken it as the Jewish people, but that would be redundant since many other passages had already promised that the nation of Israel would never pass away (Jeremiah 31:37–40; etc.). Furthermore, the Greek word for “generation” (genea) is never used elsewhere for any meaning but that of a particular age generation. A similar word, genos, sometimes means “stock” or “kind,” but never genea.

Thus, the generation that Christ was predicting probably meant the generation that would see the events He had prophesied. “When ye shall see all these things,” He said, “know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33). What are some of “these things”? World wars accompanied and followed by “earthquakes in divers places” as well as “famines, and pestilences” (v. 7), worldwide spread of the gospel witness (v. 14), many false Christs and false prophets (v. 24), widespread wickedness and spiritual indifference as in the days of Noah (vv. 37–39), and the budding of the fig tree, Israel (v. 32).

The word for “this” in verse 34 is the demonstrative adjective, so Christ seems to be referring to “that” generation which sees “these things begin to come to pass.” That generation will see all these things fulfilled! To that generation He says, “Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). HMM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Go Forward in Faith

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When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You.

Psalm 56:3 (AMP)

David killed bears and lions with his own hands when he was just a shepherd boy. He fought the giant Goliath with a slingshot and a couple of river stones. The people said that while King Saul killed thousands, David killed tens of thousands.

We might think that David was fearless to do all those things, but he wrote in Psalms that when he was afraid, he put his trust in God. The use of when implies that there were times when he felt afraid, but he chose to go forward anyway, in faith, because he trusted in God.

If you’ve been afraid of something and desire to be free, the time will eventually come when you’ll have to face your fear and not run away from it. Like David, you will have to approach it with the following attitude: I trust God, and I’m going to do it, even if I have to do it afraid.

The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, discipline, and a calm mind (2 Timothy 1:7). That means that we don’t have to bow down to fear when it strikes. We can move forward in faith and go anywhere that God leads us.

Prayer of the Day: God, forgive me for the times when I have let fear stop me. Help me trust in and rely on You as I move forward in faith, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Watch God Work 

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Play

During World War I, Biddy Chambers, her husband, and small daughter moved to Egypt, where he served as a chaplain. He taught, she transcribed. It was a perfect partnership.

Then her husband’s complications from appendicitis rendered Biddy a widow, and all the dreams of a teaching ministry would have to be abandoned, right? Well, no. She turned her husband’s notes into pamphlets. Eventually, they were compiled into a book, My Utmost For His Highest. This work of Oswald Chambers has sold more than 13 million copies and has been translated into more than 35 languages.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself of the one who is standing next to you. Give him what you have, offer thanks, and watch him go to work. Remember friends, you are never alone.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Full Barns

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Read Luke 12:13–21

If you’re anything like me, you’ve resonated with the song “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof. In this musical, the father Tevye dreams of being wealthy. Not only would his family be comfortable, he’d have more time to study in the synagogue. He asks God, “Would it spoil some vast eternal plan? If I were a wealthy man?”

God did not grant Tevye’s wish (or mine) to be wealthy, and in light of today’s parable that’s a blessing. Riches can be a formidable temptation (1 Tim. 6:10). In Luke 12, a man asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him (vv. 13–15). He was likely a younger brother, and his older brother would receive double. Jesus refused, then warned His audience against greed (covetousness) and materialism. The principle is simple: Life is not merely about possessions.

To illustrate further, Jesus told a story about a farmer who reaped a huge harvest, so big that he didn’t have enough space to store it all. His solution was to build larger barns (vv. 16–19). The man was selfish. He didn’t even consider giving some of it away. He put his trust in his wealth and pridefully found his security there. As a result of this harvest, he congratulated himself and decided he could “take life easy” from now on.

God evaluated this attitude as damned (literally) foolishness (vv. 20–21). That very night the farmer would die. He’d provided for his grain but not for his soul! Death reveals the quality of that in which we’ve put our faith. The barns were full, but the man couldn’t take any of it with him. As Ecclesiastes says, all such things are meaningless. This is how it will be for everyone who “stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Go Deeper

Finish this sentence: None of us know when we will die, therefore… Christ has already conquered death, so we can contemplate the matter without fear.

Pray with Us

Lord, everything we have comes from You. Help us not be distracted by the appeal of money and possessions. Thank You that You “give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3).

This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.Luke 12:21

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/