Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: Turning Point

David Jeremiah (March-22-2023) Daily Devotional: Future Possibilities.

For with God nothing will be impossible.- Luke 1:37

 Recommended Reading: Matthew 8:1-4 - JESUS CLEANSES A LEPER 8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

 
Imagine trying to explain to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams how instead of all the Constitutional Convention delegates traveling to Philadelphia for deliberations in 1787 they could connect by video chat over computers, tablets, or smartphones. “Why, that’s impossible!” they likely would have said. It’s amazing how many ways time has turned “impossible” into “possible.”

As many “miracles” as mankind has accomplished, not all things are possible where man is concerned. But where God is concerned, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). That’s what the angel Gabriel told Mary about the possibility of a virgin giving birth to a child: “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Notice the future orientation of those words: “will be.” Every time we think of something that is impossible, it’s a future event—and God knows the future.

If you are looking at a future event that seems impossible today, tell God your need. What looks impossible to man looks possible to God. His combination of love and power means nothing is impossible for Him where His children are concerned.

It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.  - Jeremy Taylor

David Jeremiah (March-20-2023) Daily Devotional: God’s Justice - Turning Point. 

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? - Genesis 18:25

 Recommended Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 - GOD’S FINAL JUDGMENT AND GLORY - 3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

 
The patient was only 53 years old. He died at 6:50 p.m. of a massive stroke after suffering a series of seizures. His cerebral arteries were so calcified that when tapped with tweezers they sounded like stone. What caused his stroke? The man had no history of high blood pressure.

His name was Vladimir Lenin. He died in 1924, but in 2012 a group of brilliant doctors gathered to determine his cause of death. Some determined he was slowly poisoned by Stalin. One doctor believed the culprit was high cholesterol. The case was unsolved. Had he lived another 25 years, imagine the damage Lenin could have wrought.[1]

We serve a just God. He will punish evil even if we don’t see His justice on display right away. While we love to sing of God’s love and mercy, we also need His holiness, justice, and wrath. Unrestrained evil must be dealt with, and unjust suffering must be answered.

When Jesus comes again, He will give rest to His people and in flaming fire take vengeance on those who oppose His good and righteous ways. Don’t be discouraged. Evil will not last forever—but the Lord and His redeemed will!

In a moral universe God must of necessity oppose evil.  - Robert Mounce

David Jeremiah (March-14-2023) Daily Devotional: In Good Hands - Turning point.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. - John 10:28

 Recommended Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6 - THE SERVANT, THE LIGHT TO THE GENTILES
49 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me,And take heed, you peoples from afar!The Lord has called Me from the womb;From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,And made Me a polished shaft;In His quiver He has hidden Me.” 3 “And He said to me,‘You are My servant, O Israel,In whom I will be glorified.’4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord,And my work with my God.’” 5 “And now the Lord says,Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,To bring Jacob back to Him,So that Israel is gathered to Him(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,And My God shall be My strength),6 Indeed He says,‘It is too small a thing that You should be My ServantTo raise up the tribes of Jacob,And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

 
The grip of fear reaches out for each of us. We’re living in a dangerous world, filled with medical emergencies, family crises, global instability, and threatening situations. Unless Jesus comes again, we’ll face a moment of death. All this causes us feelings that range from unease to terror.

The grip of grace also reaches out for each of us, and we find safety in the protecting, guiding, providing hands of Jesus, still scarred from the wounding nails. Psalm 18:35 says, “Your right hand has held me up.” Isaiah said, “In the shadow of His hand He has hidden me” (Isaiah 49:2). Even Jesus, in a moment of incredible pain, prayed, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit’” (Luke 23:46).

When you face times of fear, remember you’re in the hands of Him who stilled the storms. God will give you the strength to be courageous and persevere. And though you may sometimes fall, you will not “be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds [you] with His [powerful] hand” (Psalm 37:24).

Put your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the water. Put your hand in the hand of the Man who calmed the sea.
Gene MacLellan

David Jeremiah (March-13-2023) Daily Devotional: A Quiet Heart - Turning Point.

When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? - Job 34:29

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 131 - SIMPLE TRUST IN THE LORD - A Song of Ascents. Of David. 131 Lord, my heart is not haughty,Nor my eyes lofty.Neither do I concern myself with great matters,Nor with things too profound for me. 2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,Like a weaned child with his mother;Like a weaned child is my soul within me...

 
One day in 1947, when Elisabeth Elliott was a student at Wheaton College, she was sitting near a friend at the piano in one of the campus buildings. Elisabeth had written a short poem, and her friend composed a melody on the spot. Over time the melody was lost, but years later Elisabeth included the words in her book Keep a Quiet Heart.

Lord, give to me a quiet heart

That does not ask to understand,

But confident steps forward in

The darkness guided by Thy hand.[1]

We understand so little! God’s thoughts are as far above ours as heaven is above the earth. But He knows the plans He has for us, and they are important. Sometimes we feel as though our life is insignificant, but all of us are part of God’s sovereign design. Your life is important, and you can step confidently forward knowing Your Lord is already there.

We are created to glorify Him as long as we live on this planet, and to enjoy Him for the rest of eternity. Our task is simply to trust and obey. - Elisabeth Elliott

David Jeremiah (March-11-2023) Daily Devotional: Spring Forward: Mentoring - Turning Point.

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. - 2 Timothy 2:2

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 71:17-18 - O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

 
Nothing will help you spring forward in your Christian faith more than mentoring. Maybe that word intimidates you, but it’s simply doing what Paul wanted Timothy to do. Perhaps there’s a lonely young person who would welcome a kind word. Or a class of children to teach. Or a child or grandchild who would memorize a Bible verse if encouraged to do so.

Is there a kid’s team that needs a coach? A local school needing a volunteer? A college class that would enjoy some snacks, giving you an opportunity to mingle with them?

Every church needs workers, and every worker can find a way to disciple someone else. Fill yourself with Scripture, grow in wisdom and confidence, and develop good insights. Then ask God to use you to encourage someone else in their spiritual formation. Adopt this biblical prayer today: “O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come” (Psalm 71:18).

Even the scars of past abuse and injury can be the means of bringing healing to another. What wonderful opportunities to make disciples! - Charles Swindoll

David Jeremiah (March-10-2023) Daily Devotional: Lingering in His Presence - Turning Point.

He left nothing outside his control. - Hebrews 2:8, PHILLIPS

 Recommended Reading: Hebrews 2:8-12 - 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”  For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.  BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY - 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren;In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

 
June DePriest, a Bible teacher in Jackson, Mississippi, faced a protracted burden over her husband’s health. On one occasion there were frustrating delays as they awaited word on a heart procedure. “All I could do, and yet the best thing to do, was spend time in God’s Presence,” June wrote. “I lingered there longer and longer. No answer. Heaven was silent. It is easy to fall prey to the darkness of doubt. What do we do when heaven is silent? Stay in His Word and cling tightly to the Father. Saturate your heart with His promises. Go back to Scriptures that have spoken to you in the past. We are to be confident that God is working behind the scenes on our behalf.”

The Old Testament heroes of Joseph, Ruth, Moses, and Elijah found themselves in places they didn’t understand. So did the twelve disciples, Paul, Silas, and a host more. God puts us all in places we don’t understand, but we can trust His sovereignty.

Be encouraged! He has left nothing outside His control.

Lingering in God’s presence will through prayer increase your faith in Him, provide a place for you to unload your burdens, remind you that God is always near, and help you not to panic. - Elizabeth George

David Jeremiah (March-09-2023) Daily Devotional: Checkmate - Turning Point.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. - Proverbs 21:1

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 2 - THE MESSIAH’S TRIUMPH AND KINGDOM
 Why do the nations rage,And the people plot a vain thing?2 The kings of the earth set themselves,And the rulers take counsel together,Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,3 “Let us break Their bonds in piecesAnd cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;The Lord shall hold them in derision.5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,And distress them in His deep displeasure:6 “Yet I have set My KingOn My holy hill of Zion.” 7 “I will declare the decree:The Lord has said to Me,‘You are My Son,Today I have begotten You.8 Ask of Me, and I will give YouThe nations for Your inheritance,And the ends of the earth for Your possession.9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;Be instructed, you judges of the earth...

 
Magnus Carlsen, 32, of Norway is one of history’s greatest chess players. He earned the title of grandmaster when only thirteen and became World Chess Champion in his early twenties. His good looks have led to a modeling career on the side. Carlsen claims he can see fifteen moves ahead and sometimes twenty. If so, he must be a genius, for that many moves involves a lot of possible variations.

The Lord can see a trillion moves ahead—really, an infinite number. He knows what will happen down the chain of events every time a president is elected, a king is crowned, a leader is assassinated, or a war is started. Every single event—large and small—is simply moving this world closer to His preordained prophetic conclusion.

Sometimes we can’t imagine why God has placed someone in a position of power, but He uses unlikely people to accomplish His will. Just look at the biblical characters of Nebuchadnezzar, Ahasuerus, and Herod. They were chess pieces in the hands of the Master of history. Don’t panic with the times. Rather, stand amazed at God’s providential omnipotence.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does its successive journeys run. - Isaac Watts

David Jeremiah (March-07-2023) Daily Devotional: Trench Art - Turning Point.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. - Ecclesiastes 3:11

 Recommended Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3 - THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION - 61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,Because the Lord has anointed MeTo preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,And the day of vengeance of our God;To comfort all who mourn,3 To console those who mourn in Zion,To give them beauty for ashes,The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;That they may be called trees of righteousness,The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

 
During World War I, peasants would sometimes inspect recent battlefields, looking for shell casings, spent bullets, and bomb fragments. They would assemble them into items for their home. One woman in Washington state has a large collection of these decorative and practical items. Her curio cabinet displays items like salt and pepper shakers, candlesticks, and vases made from leftover fragments of war.[1]

For most of us, our life contains broken pieces. Life is a battlefield. Paul told Timothy to “wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18). None of us escape without incurring some wounds. But God can use these to bring glory to Himself. He takes the fragments of pain, the scraps of sadness, the chunks of disappointment. In His hands, these can become the means by which we learn to trust Him and to comfort others.

Give the broken pieces of your life to the Lord, and let Him create some trench art. He does all things well, and He makes everything beautiful in His time.

Even though you might look at parts of your life as ugly or shameful, God can make all things work together for your good and His glory…The God of hope is making all things beautiful in His time. - Karen Whiting

David Jeremiah (March-06-2023) Daily Devotional: Christian Despondency - Turning Point.

I was despondent. They dug a pit ahead of me, but they fell into it! - Psalm 57:6

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 57: 1-11 - PRAYER FOR SAFETY FROM ENEMIES -
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.
57 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!For my soul trusts in You;And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,Until these calamities have passed by. 2 I will cry out to God Most High,To God who performs all things for me.3 He shall send from heaven and save me;He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. SelahGod shall send forth His mercy and His truth. 4 My soul is among lions;I lie among the sons of menWho are set on fire,Whose teeth are spears and arrows,And their tongue a sharp sword.5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;Let Your glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps;My soul is bowed down;They have dug a pit before me;Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;I will sing and give praise.8 Awake, my glory!Awake, lute and harp!I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;I will sing to You among the nations.10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,And Your truth unto the clouds.

 
In his book, A Spiritual Clinic, J. Oswald Sanders devotes a chapter to despondency among Christians. “Who among us has not experienced that nameless feeling of misery and hopelessness?” he wrote. Sanders points out that such biblical heroes as Moses and Elijah had moments of great discouragement. For Moses, God prescribed the help of seventy elders; for Elijah, a time of withdrawal in a solitary place where the Lord met him.

“God prescribes individually for each of His patients. God delights to restore each depressed soul to a sphere of increased usefulness,” said Sanders.[1]

When we face daunting challenges, we can remember that God is always with us. He will give us wisdom and courage. He will deal with us individually, prescribing what is best. Take a moment to ask the Lord to show you the next immediate step you should take toward restoration and increased usefulness. He doesn’t want you to live in chronic despondency when His joy can be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

It is not without its comfort that the two men who conversed with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration both broke under the strain of their ministry and prayed that they might die. - J. Oswald Sanders

David Jeremiah (March-03-2023) Daily Devotional: Time and Wisdom - Turning Point. 

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. - Psalm 139:16

 Recommended Reading: Acts 16:6-10 - THE MACEDONIAN CALL - 6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The longest and most detailed illustration of a confused soul in the Bible is the story of Job. At the beginning of his story all was well. Then everything fell apart in his life—he lost it all. Then he spent 37 chapters dialoguing with friends about what had happened. Then at the end of his story he listened to the wisdom of God, and his eyes were opened (and his life restored). Two things made a difference: time and listening to God.

Who among us does not encounter and experience things we don’t understand? It happens often—sometimes daily. Waiting (time) doesn’t mean passivity; it means active faith in God’s purposes and plans. It means walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The active part of waiting is seeking God for wisdom and understanding.

God knows our future even before we take the steps that lead us there. Indeed, “the Lord directs [our] steps” (Proverbs 16:9). If you experience confusion, patiently seek the Lord and trust that He is working out His plans for you.

God’s purposes always have God’s provision. - John Blanchard