Monthly Archives: November 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Messengers

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God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.
Hebrews 1:1-2

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 1:1-9

The Old Testament, written primarily in Hebrew, uses the word mal’ak (pronounced mal-AHK) for angel. Its basic meaning is “messenger, one who is sent.” This word occurs more than two hundred times in the Old Testament, and it can refer to either human or heavenly messengers. The New Testament uses the Greek word angelos (pronounced AN-gel-os), and it also occurs nearly two hundred times. It, too, can refer to either a human or a supernatural messenger.

We commonly use the word angel to describe any kind of heavenly supernatural being apart from God Himself. The reality is a bit more complex since the Bible gives us glimpses of various spiritual beings, including cherubim, seraphim, archangels, principalities, and powers.

Nevertheless, the word angel reassures us that God wants to communicate with us, and He has many ways of sending us messages and messengers. His greatest communication is in His written Word, the Bible, and His Incarnate Word, the Son. Praise God today that He exists and He is not silent.

[Angels] come to attend the redeemed; they wait on their steps; they sustain them in trial; they accompany them when departing to heaven. 
Albert Barnes

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Radiating God’s Goodness

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As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

Today’s Scripture

Romans 12:16-21

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Today’s Devotion

Where were the packages? An inner-city church was having problems receiving deliveries. Although its office staff requested that online orders be dropped off inside the building, the goods were regularly left outside on the street, and some items were never received.

Church workers were understandably vexed, but instead of griping on the company’s customer service hotline, the church’s employees created a snack station inside the building and invited the delivery people to stop in for food and water. Before long, packages began to show up at the right place at the right time, and the church was able to “deliver” a message to the couriers: We care about you as people, not just service providers.

Often, we can change distressing situations through kindness. Although our natural response might be to find fault and hold on to anger, the apostle Paul challenges us to let God’s goodness radiate through us, even when we feel it’s undeserved. Through the Holy Spirit’s power and with His wisdom, we can show kindness by being hospitable, thoughtful, and helpful (Romans 12:13-14). Even if this seems ineffective, we know it pleases God because the Bible encourages us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray

When was the last time you traded anger for love? How might caring for others show the world God’s true nature?

Dear God, You’ve been so kind to me. Please show me how to change my corner of the world by passing Your love on to others.

Today’s Insights

After explaining what the gospel is—the good news that God loved the world and gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins (Romans 1-11)—Paul applies it to everyday living, instructing believers in Christ how to live a holy life that pleases God (chs. 12-16). The clearest indication of a renewed mind and transformed life (12:1-2) is having “sincere” love for others (v. 9), demonstrated when we “love [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” (Mark 12:31; see Romans 13:8-10; 14:15). It’s easy to love those who love us. But to “bless those who persecute [us]” (12:14) is the litmus test of such a Christlike love (vv. 14-21). Rather than responding in anger or retaliation when we’re wronged, we can commit the situation to God. He’ll help us replace our anger with kindness and goodness (v. 20). In this way, we “don’t let evil conquer [us], but conquer evil by doing good” (v. 21 nlt).

For further study, read: Should We Be the Acts 2 Church?

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Pentagon prepares bases to operate autonomously for 90 days

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In light of tomorrow’s midterm elections, many are wondering what comes next. The Wall Street Journal reports that the US has told several Gulf Arab countries to be prepared for a short, intense military campaign after the elections. Stocks were down significantly last Friday but could rally after the elections, while the election results will definitely affect the last two years of the Trump Administration and the next congressional session.

Some are worried that dire threats could be on the horizon, fears fueled by news that the UK launched its “Be Ready” campaign on October 22, encouraging households to stockpile three days of drinking water, nonperishable food, cash, and other emergency essentials. Closer to home, the Pentagon is preparing US bases to keep operating for at least ninety days without outside support.

The British effort is the first stage of a three-year campaign to help households be prepared “if everyday services are temporarily disrupted” through “events such as severe weather.” The Pentagon, by contrast, is preparing for the possibility of a major war that could cripple power grids, disrupt supply chains, and threaten critical infrastructure.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Pentagon prepares bases to operate autonomously for 90 days →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Be Known for Your Faith

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 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 

—Romans 1:8

Scripture:

Romans 1:8 

In this week’s devotions, we’re going to talk about more hot-button issues. Today, we’re going to focus on the responsibility believers have to be known for their faith. It’s a hot-button issue today due in large part to social media. Online opponents of the Christian faith have become especially vocal and confrontational in their opposition.

Of course, opposition is nothing new for followers of Christ. Contending for the Christian faith has been a hot-button issue for more than two thousand years.

It was certainly an issue for the earliest followers of Christ. After all, it wasn’t easy being a Christian in Rome. As the capital of the Roman Empire, the city had a population of around one million.

Yet the church in Rome was already becoming known for its faith. The apostle Paul told the believers in Rome, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world” (Romans 1:8 NLT).

Years later, during the reign of Caesar, Christians in Rome faced historic persecution. Nero sent Christians covered in animal skins into the arena to be torn apart by dogs. He had other Christians covered with pitch and lit them on fire, using them to light his garden as he rode around in his chariot.

Despite such horrific opposition and oppression, the church in Rome not only survived but flourished. And not only did it flourish, but it also impacted the Roman Empire. In fact, it impacted the entire world. It did so because it pushed back. It didn’t yield to critics, haters, or even persecutors. The gospel message was too powerful to be restrained. Christ’s followers endured whatever was necessary to spread the Good News.

Do people know you for your faith? If someone polled your coworkers and neighbors, the people who know you only as an acquaintance, and asked them if you were a Christian, would they say yes? Would there be no question about it?

It’s a good reputation to have. If someone arrested you for being a Christian, would they find enough evidence to convict you? If you want to be a believer like those of the first century, then others should know you for your faith.

Jesus did not say, “Go into all the world and be a good example.” Rather, He said, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15 NLT). Walking with Christ isn’t always a passive, personal experience.

Being a good example alone will not bring people to Christ. But it can open the door for you to share your faith and share the gospel with others.

Reflection question: Where in your life can you be a good example to others by sharing your faith? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Counting God

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4)

God is surely the Great Mathematician. All the intricacies of structure and process of His mighty cosmos are, at least in principle, capable of being described mathematically, and the goal of science is to do just that. This precise intelligibility of the universe clearly points to a marvelous intelligence as its Creator.

God even “telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names” (Psalm 147:4). Astronomers estimate that at least 10 trillion trillion stars exist in the heavens, and God has counted and identified each one! And that is not all: “The very hairs of your head are all numbered,” Jesus said (Matthew 10:30). From the most massive star to the tiniest hair, God has counted each component of His creation.

Such countings are far beyond human capabilities, for “the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured” (Jeremiah 33:22). But God has also created “an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22) and has promised that the redeemed will include “a great multitude, which no man could number” (Revelation 7:9).

No wonder David exclaimed, “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:5).

Perhaps the most wonderful of all God’s counting activities is that implied in Job’s rhetorical question: “Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” If He has numbered the hairs on our heads, we can be certain He numbers our steps along the way and guides them all. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Psalm 37:23). HMM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Healthy Self-Image

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The LORD turned to him [Gideon] and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

Judges 6:14-15 (ESV)

People who have been hurt or abused in some way often have very low self-esteem. Other people have not treated them as though they are valuable or special, so they do not have a strong sense of self-worth. An important part of the healing of the soul is developing a healthy self-image and coming to understand that God loves us, so we should love ourselves. We were worth His sending His Son to die for us, so we have worth far beyond what we realize.

In the Bible, Gideon did not have a good self-image. When God called him to save the Israelites and even asked, “Do not I send you?” (which was God’s way of letting Gideon know that yes, He was definitely sending him), Gideon tried to get out of it. He basically told God that he did not come from a strong family and that he was the weakest one of them all!

God had chosen Gideon for a special purpose, but Gideon did not have enough confidence in God or in himself to embrace the assignment. He had several problems. The first was that he thought negatively about himself. The second was that he spoke negatively about himself. The third was that his faith in God did not outweigh his own thoughts and words. Even when we think or speak negatively about ourselves, when we have an encounter with God, it gives us a chance to change our minds, change our words, and come into agreement with Him. Gideon didn’t do that.

As God heals your soul, your self-esteem will improve. You will begin to feel stronger, more confident, and better about who you are. This is a good sign, and it means that God is working in your life! When God calls you to do something or gives you an opportunity and your first thought is, Oh, I couldn’t do that. I am not smart enough or strong enough, or whatever you think you are not enough of, stop yourself. Interrupt that thought and think, God created me, and He loves me unconditionally. He is healing my soul and making me stronger. I belong to Him, so I can do anything He asks me to do!

This kind of confidence and positive self-image is not arrogant, because it is based on your relationship with God, not on your human abilities. To be confident in God and to feel good about how He has created you is a healthy expression of your faith in Him. Philippians 4:13 says you can do all things through Christ, who gives you strength. To believe that is to agree with God’s Word and doing that will help you improve your self-image.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for loving me and giving Your Son for me. Heal my self-image, silence my negative thoughts, and help me believe I am valuable in You, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God’s Hold Is Sure 

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Many Christians think they’re saved, hope they’re saved, but still they doubt, wondering, “Am I really saved?” Our behavior gives us reason to wonder. We’re strong one day, weak the next. Devoted one hour, flagging the next. Believing, then unbelieving.

Conventional wisdom draws a line through the middle of these fluctuations. Perform above this line, and enjoy God’s acceptance. But dip below it, and expect a pink slip from heaven. Salvation, then, becomes a matter of timing. You just hope you’ll die on an upswing.

Jesus’ language couldn’t be stronger: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages…and no one is able to snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28 AMPC). God doesn’t let go, and he won’t let go of you.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Day of Pentecost

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Read Acts 2:1–13

When Jesus ascended to heaven, the apostles were left behind. They obeyed Jesus’ instruction to remain in Jerusalem until He sent to them what His Father had promised (Luke 24:49). In fact, Jesus had also promised to send the Advocate, or Counselor, to them in John 16:7. In addition to the apostles, Mary the mother of Jesus, other women, and Jesus’ brothers, approximately 120 disciples of Jesus regularly met for prayer. They were waiting for the promise to be fulfilled, and it was, on the Day of Pentecost.

When that Day of Pentecost came, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (vv. 2–4).

Although the disciples of Jesus believed Him for the promise of the Holy Spirit, I dare to suggest that what occurred was not what they expected. “Suddenly” (v. 2) suggests it was startling. “A sound like the blowing of a violent wind” (v. 2) indicates it was loud and frightening. “Saw what seemed to be tongues of fire” (v. 3) implies it was mesmerizing. The entire experience captivated them.

There was also an individualized aspect of the miracle. The tongues of fire came to “rest on each of them” (v. 3). They were each “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v. 4). They each spoke in different languages that they previously had not known. The Holy Spirit did not just come into the world in a general sense. He also came into the world to fill and empower each believer.

Go Deeper

As a believer in Jesus Christ, do you believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in you? In what ways does the Spirit empower you? Watch this interview as our author Dr. Eric Moore talks about the day of Pentecost.

Pray with Us

Lord, thank You for sending Your Spirit to dwell within us. Please make us sensitive to listen when He is prompting us, and give us courage to obey even when it seems hard.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.Acts 2:1

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – The Ascension

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Read Acts 1:1–11

One of the television programs my wife and I enjoy is Finding Your Roots. During the show Henry Louis Gates Jr. unfolds each guest’s family tree and tells them something of interest regarding their ancestors’ lives. Some guests have said, “I feel so much more connected to my roots” or “Now I know how I got here.”

In a sense, this is the purpose of the book of Acts. We learn how our family (the church of Jesus Christ) got started. The church began with the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Luke, Paul’s companion, is writing to a man named Theophilus. The book of Acts can be viewed as volume two of Luke’s historical record, beginning where his gospel left off, with the ascension of Jesus.

The book of Acts follows a simple outline found in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and disciples, and the gospel spread locally, regionally, and worldwide.

This is important to the proper understanding of the book of Acts. Some view the book as “prescriptive.” By that I mean we should be doing exactly what is recorded in this book. If by that they mean that we should be reaching the world with the gospel, then I agree. However, I believe the proper way to view this book is “descriptive.” Luke is describing how the church of Jesus Christ began. We are to learn from all of it, but not necessarily try to duplicate all of it. Some events were unique to the founding era of the church.

Go Deeper

What role does the Holy Spirit play in the opening of the book of Acts? How is the Spirit at work in this present day?

Pray with Us

Dear Father, please meet us in our study of Acts. As we look back at the beginning of the church, give us wisdom to use what we learn in our own settings. Your way is the best way.

He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.Acts 1:9

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God Our King

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It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 1 Samuel 8:7

Today’s Scripture

1 Samuel 8:4-9

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Today’s Devotion

After being jobless for a year, Ethan finally got a good offer—but his wife stopped him from accepting it. “Is this good for you?” she asked. “It’s a night shift, so you’ll struggle to attend church on Sunday mornings, like with your previous job.” After praying and mulling over it, Ethan decided to turn down the offer. While there was nothing wrong with it, he knew it wouldn’t be good for him. Months later, he got another job—a day shift—that allowed him to attend church regularly.

Not all decisions that seem logical are God-honoring or wise. For example, it seemed natural for the Israelites to ask for a king. The prophet Samuel’s sons weren’t fit to lead (1 Samuel 8:3), and other nations seemed to be doing well with a king (vv. 5, 20). But God warned them about trusting solely in people; only He was their true king who could protect and provide for them perfectly (vv. 7, 11-18). Still, the Israelites insisted (v. 19), leading God to tell Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (v. 7). Later, the Israelites would suffer under the rule of a string of evil kings.

Human wisdom can lead us to rely on ourselves rather than God. His ways may be counterintuitive, but they’re truly wise and lead to good. May we learn to trust Him and accept His rule in our lives, for He alone is our loving King.

Reflect & Pray

What decisions are you facing now? How can you seek God’s guidance and wisdom in making them?

Dear God, please teach me to trust in Your ways and follow them so I can obey and please You in all I do.

Today’s Insights

Key to understanding today’s Scripture (1 Samuel 8:4-9) is another passage that contains God’s instructions to Israel during their flight from Egypt. He told them, “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). He also said, “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you . . . and you say, ‘Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,’ be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses” (17:14-15). Despite their privileged status as His chosen people, He knew His people would yearn to be like the nations surrounding them. When Samuel prayed, God told him, “They have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). Yet they remained His people, and God did indeed choose their human king (9:16). We can remember today that God’s wisdom is available in every decision we make.

For further study, read: Making Decisions God’s Way

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Tempting Offer

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Adapted from Battlefield of the Mind

Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil. And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry.

Matthew 4:1–2 (AMPC)

After Jesus had gone through a 40-day fast, Satan approached Him with three tempting offers. The devil came to Jesus when he was weak and hungry. It’s natural to assume that the Lord was physically weakened after being without nourishment for such an extended period of time, so, of course, the devil’s first offer involved food. If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread (Matthew 4:3 AMPC).

Later Jesus performed several miracles that included food, such as changing a boy’s lunch into enough fish and bread to feed five thousand people and, at another time, to feed four thousand. All of Jesus’ miracles were for the good of others. He never performed miracles for Himself or to satisfy any need of His own. That’s one major lesson we learn from His temptation.

The devil then took Jesus to a mountaintop and showed Him the nations of the earth. He said, in effect, “You can have it all in exchange for one slight, easily excusable act. Worship me—just once—and You can have it all.” I can even imagine the devil saying, “It’s all right; God will understand. You’re so weak right now.”

It was as if Satan said, “You’re going to rule it all anyway. This is just a shortcut.” He implied that through one simple act of worship, Jesus could avoid the rejection, the suffering, and even the horrifying death on the cross. And either way, He would achieve the same goal.

As attractive as the offer may have sounded, Jesus turned it down. He recognized the deliberately crafted lie, and Jesus never hesitated. The world would be won for God, but it would be won by the way of sacrifice and obedience. The way of the cross would be Jesus’ pathway to victory.

Again, Jesus teaches us that His is not the easy way. Instead, we must take the right way. Whenever the devil tries to convince us there is an easier way—one that will make life better for us—we know we don’t want to listen.

As we read the story, the choice seems obvious. But suppose you had been in that wilderness for 40 days and nights without food and water. Suppose you had faced such great temptations. Suppose the devil had whispered in your ear, “Just this one time and no one will know.”

This is one of the enemy’s most subtle lies. Not only does he tempt you to give in and to receive the things you’d like to have, but he also makes it sound simple and easy: “Just do this one thing, and it’s all yours.”

God never works that way. He wants you to have the best and only the best, but it has to come in the right way.

At the end of the temptation accounts, Matthew inserts a powerful statement. With each temptation, Jesus won because he relied on the Word of God for His strength. And the devil couldn’t fight the Word. Finally, Matthew records, Then the devil departed from Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him (Matthew 4:11 AMPC).

The wisdom to be gleaned from this experience is powerful. Even after you’ve been battered and tempted, God doesn’t leave you. He remains with you to comfort you, to minister to your needs, and to encourage you. Never forget that He is as close to you as the mention of His name. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Prayer of the Day: Blessed Lord Jesus, thank You for winning the victory over the devil. Thank You for not listening to Satan and for standing on the Word of God in the midst of every temptation. Lord, in Your name, I pray for the wisdom and the strength to defeat the same enemy when he tempts me, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org