Turning Point

Dr. David Jeremiah

Articles by Dr. David Jeremiah

In the World but Not of It

One of the most popular vaudevillian teams in the 1920s was Montrose and Allen. Belle Montrose was a brilliant comedienne, and her husband, Bill Allen, played the straight guy. The two kept audiences rolling in the aisles. In 1921, their son, Stephen Allen, was born. Steve Allen’s earliest memories were of vaudeville. His own television show debuted in 1950; three years later he hosted a late-night program from New York City. It was The Tonight Show, and Steve Allen is credited with virtually inventing late-night television.

The Glorious Centerpiece

If you have ever been to a large reception that celebrated the marriage of two very mature, serious, and committed people, then you’ve been blessed. The deeper the love and commitment, the more free and genuine the celebration. The world has seen some pretty amazing wedding receptions, but there is one coming that will make them look amateurish by comparison: the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is mentioned by that name in only one passage of Scripture, Revelation 19:7-9. But in spite of only one mention, it is not hard to understand everything we need to know about the most wonderful wedding reception ever planned. From studies of Jewish biblical culture, we know there were three stages to a Jewish wedding.

Love Letters – A Bridegroom’s Letter

Love letters are the ties that bind the hearts of lovers together; the bridge that spans the chasm that time and distance create. Our separation from our Savior is made more difficult by the fact that we have never seen Him face-to-face. We are like a bride who married her lover from a distance and yearns to be united with Him for the first time. The apostle Peter speaks of the testing of our faith as we await the arrival of one whom “having not seen you love” (1 Peter 1:8). But we are not without communication from Him. We have a book full of love letters to read, if only we will— letters that tell of His great love for us and what our reunion with Him will be like when He returns for all eternity. How long would you allow a letter from your long-separated beloved to sit unopened? Not for a second! Yet how long do we allow the Bible, which is full of God’s declarations of love to us, to sit unopened and unread? Jesus is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. His words of love will keep our heart entwined with His if we will read and cherish them daily.

The Battle for Your Mind

The great teacher and theologian Oswald Chambers wrote, “Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be ‘bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.”[1] Whether the mind is the greatest gift of God or one of God’s greatest gifts doesn’t matter—Chambers’ point is well made: Whatever is greatly valued by God is going to be greatly contested by Satan. We can go so far as to say that the human mind is the ultimate battlefield for spiritual warfare. Satan is more concerned about what we think and believe than about anything else. [1] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest. February 11 reading. http://utmost.org/is-your-mind-stayed-on-god/.

Seeing Beyond This Life

King Solomon ruled the nation of Israel in peace for 39 years during the mid-tenth century B.C. At that time, the borders of Israel extended from the Euphrates River to the edge of Egypt. Solomon had more than 40,000 horses and 12,000 charioteers in his possession. Each day ten oxen, twenty head of cattle, and a hundred sheep were slaughtered just to feed his household and his servants. He amassed the greatest aggregation of gold and silver that had ever been accumulated in ancient times. He built great structures and wrote timeless works of literature.

FAITH: Our Eternal Reliance

In times of crisis and fear, we look for a leader in whose courage we can rely and in whose words, we can trust. The problem is, of course, that human leaders are fallible. Though their words inspire us, their lives are imperfect. Their oratory may inflame us, but their thoughts are finite. We need a leader who never falters, whose words are true, whose power is wisely administered, and whose promises never fail. We have such a leader, for we have the Lord! We can trust Him completely, and this kind of faith drives out fear. His plans and purposes can be relied upon.

Always Faithful

The word “always” is frequently misused in our everyday conversations, simply because the definition and its application often do not match. The definition of “always” is “at all times.” If you think about it, no one is “always” late or “always” on time, but when we speak of the faithfulness of God, always is the correct word. God is always faithful to His promises, and understanding this attribute is the key to the life of faith that we long to experience.

Winning Numbers

Some days we feel like winners. Other days we feel like losers. But for the child of God, there’s never really a losing season. It’s important to know what the score is. I’d like to point you to the great scoreboard of the Word of God and show you some winning numbers. 13-5 If you know Christ as your Savior, the score is always 13-5, as in Hebrews 13:5: For He himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Those words were penned to a group of Hebrew Christians who were growing discouraged by opposition and threats of persecution. In writing to them, the author of Hebrews reminded them of a thrice-given promise made to Joshua. In the Book of Hebrews, we learn that this wasn’t just Joshua’s promise. It’s a universal promise for all God’s children. The writer of Hebrews told his readers they could claim it for themselves, and so can you.

Know the One Who Knows!

Sometimes in life, it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. Of course, what you know is vitally important. But think of it this way: The less you know, the more important who you know becomes. Think about some examples from biblical history: •A New World: God wanted Noah and his family to be the ones to populate the new world after the Flood. It meant building an ark, loading the animals, collecting food, floating for 150 days, then establishing a new human order. It wasn’t what Noah knew that was important; it was only important that he “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). •A New Nation: When it came time for God to create a people through whom to bring a Savior into the world, He chose Abraham. God told Abraham and his family to leave their home and travel to a land called Canaan where God promised to do something great through him. So Abraham left “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). It wasn’t what Abraham knew that was important; it was only important that he was “the friend of God” (James 2:23). •A New Calling: Jesus told Andrew and Peter, James and John, and others to follow Him, that He would make them fishers of men. They didn’t know where Jesus was going, which meant they didn’t know where they were going. But they laid down their vocations and took up His. It wasn’t what the first disciples knew that was important; it was only important that they had “found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote” (John 1:45). •A New Faith: Paul was confronted by Jesus and commissioned to carry the Name of Christ “before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Paul had been called to a new faith and had more questions than answers. It wasn’t important what Paul didn’t know; it was only important that he had come to “know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). In each of these instances, people were given a new vision to consider—and very few details. But more important than what they knew was Who they knew. And the same is true when God gives us a vision for a new venture.

An Abundant Harvest

In 1914 Thomas Edison’s laboratory caught on fire. When he realized how big the blaze was, Edison sent word to his family and friends, “Get down here quick. You may never again see anything like this!” Edison lost 2 million dollars in equipment and the record of a life’s work. Walking through the rubble with his son Charles, he said, “There’s a great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” How many would be able to respond with gratitude after such loss? Giving thanks to God, Edison started anew. Many great inventions came after his laboratory burned. How can we reap the benefits of a thankful heart all year long?

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About Turning Point

Turning Point's Mission: Delivering the Unchanging Word of God to an Ever-Changing World

About Dr. David Jeremiah

Dr. David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point for God, an international broadcast ministry committed to providing Christians with sound Bible teaching through radio and television, the Internet, live events, and resource materials and books. He is the author of more than fifty books including The Book of Signs, Forward, and Where Do We Go From Here? David serves as senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, California, where he resides with his wife, Donna. They have four grown children and twelve grandchildren.

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