Team Daily Devotions for October 2024
316Judith
Posts: 9,092 Member
Good Evening Team
I will be back to post our First Devotion for October tomorrow morning.
I will share Daily Devotions from Turning Point Ministries and on the weekend will post Wisdom from the Psalms!
Hope you will enjoy the Devotions. I encourage you to respond to these devotions and share how they have touched your heart!
God Blessings
From your Friend and Team Leader
Judith
I will be back to post our First Devotion for October tomorrow morning.
I will share Daily Devotions from Turning Point Ministries and on the weekend will post Wisdom from the Psalms!
Hope you will enjoy the Devotions. I encourage you to respond to these devotions and share how they have touched your heart!
God Blessings
From your Friend and Team Leader
Judith
0
Replies
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Wednesday, October 2
Prelude to Eternity
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:6
The modern era has witnessed the arrival of only one new millennium—the one that began in the year 2000. The rarity of a new millennium reveals how long a thousand years truly is.
Bible Reading:
Revelation 20:1-6
When we speak of the biblical Millennium, we forget what a lengthy period it will be. A thousand years. And that term is not figurative.
Based on the law of repetition in biblical interpretation, the author of Revelation meant a literal thousand years when he mentioned the “thousand years” five times in the space of six verses (Revelation 20:1-6).
It will last more than 13 times the length of the average human life span of 75 years. But here is the exciting truth: We who have died in Christ—or are alive in Him when He returns—will “reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
Our eternal life with God will begin in the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. The Millennium will be the prelude to our glorious eternity in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21).
There is a land of pure delight, where saints immortal reign. Isaac Watts0 -
Thursday, October 3
Things to Come
Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come.
Isaiah 41:22
The late J. Dwight Pentecost was a long-time professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary.
One of the earliest of his many books was a massive volume—some seven hundred pages—titled Things to Come.
Though published in 1958, it remains widely read today, having sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
The length of this volume is an accurate reflection of the attention the Bible gives to “things to come”—specifically, the study of biblical eschatology, the doctrine of the last things on God’s prophetic timetable.
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 9:6-7
The prophets in the Old Testament saw a day when God’s righteous rule would cover the earth and when peace would fill the earth (Isaiah 11:1-9).
What they didn’t see as clearly was the gap between the Messiah’s first and second comings—meaning the truths about His coming glorious Kingdom are still “things to come.”
The New Testament reveals His coming Kingdom to be a thousand-year period (Revelation 20:1-6)—the Kingdom for which Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:10).
Thank God today that His Millennial Kingdom is coming!
The key to the history of the world is the
kingdomof God. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones0 -
Friday, October 4
What Is Hallowed?
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
Last year this answer appeared in the $200 box on the television program Jeopardy:
“Our Father which art in heaven, ________ be thy name.” The three contestants looked perplexed as the buzzer sounded.
The host supplied the question: “What is hallowed?”
How tragic that people no longer know the Lord’s Prayer!
Bible Reading:
Matthew 6:8-13
Every phrase of that famous prayer is meaningful.
For example, when we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are really praying for the Millennial reign of Christ.
The Lord’s Kingdom is “already but not yet.”
When He came the first time, Jesus established the Kingdom of His Church.
Christ-followers are the vanguard of His Kingdom.
We are already here, serving Him now. But the ultimate fulfillment is yet to come.
When He comes again, He will establish an earthly, physical, geographical, political Kingdom.
He will reign over the earth from His throne in Jerusalem.
Every time we pray, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven,” we are looking forward to God’s glorious thousand-year-long answer!
It’s still important to know—and to pray!—the Lord’s Prayer.
When you pray “Thy kingdom come,” you are asking for the second coming of Jesus to this earth. Elmer Towns0 -
October 6, 2024
Psalm 119:121
I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.
It was never easy giving an F to a student. In fact, if there were any way around it, Jill would have taken it.
Most of the time the student was willing to do anything to avoid the bad mark. Garrett was another case.
She had offered to tutor him, she had given him extra-credit work to do, and she had taken all kinds of extra time with him.
Through it all he had just blown her off, ignoring her attempts to help and mocking her to his friends.
He had ripped up notes she had written to his parents, and he forged his parents' signature on his report cards.
Jill had contacted Garrett's parents, but they were too busy to come in.
Now, however, with a F in hand, the parents were coming, and they were looking to pick a fight.
Doing what is right is not all that easy. When we dedicate ourselves to justice, we must be ready to face the wrath of all those who don't see things the same way we do.
God loves justice and righteousness, and we need to remember that He is ever on the side of what is right. He will be with us when we face persecution for righteousness' sake. Rely on Him.
Prayer: Whenever I try to do right, it seems like someone finds fault with me. Help me to ignore the insults and remain true to what I feel You want me to do. Protect me, Lord. Amen.0 -
Monday, October 7
The Final Battle
For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…. Together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. Revelation 16:14, 16
Napoleon Bonaparte is reported to have called the plain of Jezreel “the most natural battleground of the whole earth”—a place where “all the armies of the world could maneuver their forces.”
This vast plain in central Israel spreads out from the base of Mount Megiddo. Mount in Hebrew is har—added to Hebrew megiddon it results in Armageddon, the site of the final battle when Christ returns to judge the nations and establish His Kingdom on earth.
Bible Reading:
Revelation 19:11-21
This battle will occur at the end of the seven-year Tribulation when Christ returns to earth from heaven with the armies of His saints.
Most of the nations of the world, deceived by the Antichrist, will array themselves to fight against Christ but will succumb to His judgment (Revelation 19:11-21).
Following this victory over evil, Christ will inaugurate His thousand-year, righteous rule centered in Jerusalem.
Thank God today that a final battle is coming when righteousness will triumph over evil—and peace will prevail.
The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy. Corrie ten Boom0 -
Tuesday, October 8
No More Chaos
[The angel] laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:2
We can divide the biblical story of redemption into large sections. Genesis 1–2: God brings order out of chaos in Creation.
Genesis 3: Satan’s entrance leads to sin and a curse over all creation. Genesis 4–Revelation 19:
The earth is characterized by chaos as God works to reverse the effects of sin. Revelation 20:
Satan is bound by God for one thousand years, and order is restored on earth after which Satan and his demons are confined to judgment for eternity.
Bible Reading:
Revelation 21:6-7
When Satan is present, there is disorder, discord, and death. When Satan is absent, there is peace: “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying...no more pain” (Revelation 21:4).
The difference between the effects of Satan’s presence or absence will be starkly evident during the thousand-year Millennium when he will be bound “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer” (Revelation 20:3, ESV).
We have never experienced a Satan-free world, but it is coming! If you belong to Christ, you will be able to rejoice in that millennial day.
The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan. A. W. Tozer0 -
October 9, 2024
The Highest of All
And [Christ] has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16
Even people who have never read the book of Revelation are familiar with phrases from 17:14 and 19:16 that refer to Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Why? Because they have heard those phrases in the “Hallelujah Chorus” which concludes Part II of George Frederic Handel’s Messiah.
Some of the words in that famous chorus say: “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ.... King of kings, for ever and ever, and Lord of lords, hallelujah, hallelujah!... And He shall reign for ever and ever.”
Bible Reading:
Revelation 17:14
The superlative expression in Hebrew—as in “King of kings”—is used numerous times in Scripture: slave of slaves (Genesis 9:25), holy of holies (Exodus 26:33-34), vanity of vanities (Ecclesiastes 1:2), song of songs (Song of Solomon 1:1). It simply meant the highest of the highs or lowest of the lows.
The Christ we serve is King above all earthly kings and Lord above all earthly lords. And He shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah!
Death may be the king of terrors, but Jesus is the King of kings. Dwight L. Moody0 -
Thursday, October 10
The Golden City
Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.... “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” Zechariah 8:22-23
It has been ruled by Canaanites, Egyptians, Jebusites, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, and British.
It has been destroyed at least 2 times, besieged 23 times, captured 44 times, and attacked 52 times.
It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It remains the most contested piece of real estate in the world—Jerusalem—the so-called “City of Peace.”
Bible Reading:
2 Chronicles 6:5-6
The most besieged city in the world will indeed become a city of peace when the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) sets up His Millennial Kingdom:
“And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.... And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:4, 9).
Remember to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) as she awaits the arrival of the Prince of Peace.
Indeed, the destiny of the world is tied to the future of Jerusalem. Randall Price0 -
OCTOBER 12, 2024
If My People: Humble Themselves
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Bible Reading:
2 Chronicles 17:1-6
Anglican pastor John Stott said, “Pride is your greatest enemy, humility is your greatest friend.”
When it comes to the national revival we need in the family of God, pride is the greatest obstacle.
Humility is the open doorway. It’s impossible to confess our sins if we’re not humble enough to recognize and acknowledge them.
Is there a sinful habit quenching the Holy Spirit in your heart?
Is there an attitude that is grieving Him?
Could it be a secret life of pornography, bitter attitudes of anger toward someone, lack of physical discipline when it comes to eating or drinking, impure sources of entertainment, or neglect of church and Bible reading?
We can’t accommodate recurring known sin and at the same time experience revival.
Ask God to show you the changes you need to make today.
We are to humble ourselves. Should we not be humbled by the fact that after receiving so much love we yet transgress?
O Lord, we bow before Thee in the dust and own our grievous ingratitude. Oh, the infamy of sin! Charles Spurgeon0 -
October 13, 2024
Psalm 121:8
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Gene grabbed his poncho and headed for the door. Whenever there was a bad storm, the linemen got called out by the power company.
Funny, but they were expected to work in the least safe conditions at a moment's notice, and nobody ever said please or thank you.
Every time he headed out on a night like this one, Gene took time to say an extra prayer for protection.
The Lord watches over all His children. He is with us in safe times as well as the dangerous ones.
He guards our steps from the day we are born until we are ushered into our heavenly home.
Know that the Lord is with you. He will never leave you alone.
Prayer: Guard me this day, Lord. Be with all the people who serve in dangerous positions, and keep them safe. Watch over us all. Amen.0 -
Monday, October 14
Perfect Judge, Perfect Justice
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:7
With the advent of DNA technology came the use of that technology in solving crimes.
The Innocence Project, founded in 1992, has used DNA testing to overturn the convictions of more than two hundred wrongly convicted persons.
Even in our modern criminal justice systems, it is still possible for justice not to be reached. In a fallen world, when justice is administered by fallible human beings, the outcomes can lead to injustice.
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 11:1-5
There will be no such injustice when Jesus Christ rules with perfect justice during the Millennium.
As Isaiah prophesied, “And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isaiah 11:3-4).
The justice will be perfect because the Judge will be perfect.
If you have ever been judged unfairly without recourse, put your faith in the just Judge who will balance the scales “even forever.”
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere Martin Luther King, Jr.0 -
Tuesday, October 15
Return to Eden
“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.
Isaiah 65:25
In the “kingdom” of Eden, peace prevailed. In fact, that peace existed both among humans and animals.
There was apparently no hostility between humans and animals in Eden (Genesis 2:19-20); animals were not even part of the human diet (Genesis 1:29).
But after sin entered the world, that peace disappeared as the rule in creation. Violence became the norm for both man and beast (Genesis 6:5-8).
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 11:6-9
But peace will return when the Prince of Peace rules the world: “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).
Natural enemies like wolves and lambs, leopards and goats, and lions and calves will exist harmoniously together.
Even a child will play with a deadly snake (Isaiah 11:6-8).
Just as peace was the norm in Eden, so peace will be the norm in Christ’s Kingdom on earth.
Until that day, let us fulfill our stewardship responsibilities towards God’s creatures that He has entrusted to us.
Everything we have is on loan from the Lord, entrusted to us for a while. John MacArthur0 -
Thursday, October 17
A River Glorious
I will extend peace to her like a river.
Isaiah 66:12
Frances Ridley Havergal was a popular singer, devotional writer, and British hymnist.
One of her most well-known songs says: “Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace, over all victorious in its bright increase.”
Her imagery and inspiration came from the book of Isaiah.
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 66:12-13
Writing about the Millennial reign of Christ, Isaiah said, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream” (Isaiah 66:12).
Christ will establish global peace for the world just as He gives us His inner peace now. Havergal knew another verse from Isaiah too—
Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” Her chorus says: “Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest, finding, as he promised, perfect peace and rest.”
War has been with us since the days of Cain and Abel, but it isn’t eternal.
One day God’s peace will flow through the world like a river.
But even now, it can flow through our hearts when our minds are stayed on Him.
Claim His perfect peace in your situation today.
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand, never foe can follow, never traitor stand. Frances Havergal0 -
Friday, October 18
In Our Element
Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; Lord, they walk in the light from your face.
Psalm 89:15, CSB
A. W. Tozer said, “The people of God ought to be the happiest people in all the wide world! People should be coming to us constantly and asking the source of our joy and delight.” Charles Spurgeon felt the same way, writing, “God made human beings as He made His other creatures, to be happy…. They are in their right element when they are happy.”
Bible Reading:
Psalm 89:11-18
One day the world will be filled with joy when Christ returns. Isaac Watts wrote, “Joy to the World,” which is actually based on the Millennial passage of Psalm 98 about the Second Coming.
But we don’t have to wait for the return of Christ to be happy. He lives in, among, and through us right now by His Spirit. Choose happiness today!
Francis of Assisi said, “Let us leave sadness to the devil and his angels.
As for us, what can we be but rejoicing and glad!”
And Jonathan Edwards added, “He has created man for this very end, to make him happy in the enjoyment of himself, the Almighty, who was happy from the days of eternity in himself.”
Man is more himself…when joy is the fundamental thing in him. G. K. Chesterton0 -
OCTOBER 19, 2024
If My People: Pray and Seek My Face
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Bible Reading:
1 Chronicles 16:7-13
Many biblical scholars think of 2 Chronicles 7:14 as the greatest formula for revival ever written.
Regional and national revivals occur in the church with God’s people who are called by His name.
We must humble ourselves, pray, and seek His face.
John Piper wrote, “Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence”
‘Presence’ is a common translation of the Hebrew word ‘face.’
Literally, we are to seek his ‘face.’
But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be in his presence.”
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles tell us to “seek the Lord and His strength…evermore” (1 Chronicles 16:11), “to seek out all the commandments of…God” (1 Chronicles 28:8), and to set and to prepare our hearts to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 11:16 and 12:14).
The hearts of all those who seek the Lord are to rejoice (1 Chronicles 16:10).
Seeking God through prayer is serious business.
Let’s not neglect it!
Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan. John Bunyan
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October 20
Wisdom from the Psalms
Psalm 125:4
Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
Mrs. Hendricks was the most popular music teacher around.
Young and old alike hired her to teach them how to play and sing.
Actually, the only thing Mrs. Hendricks did differently from other teachers was to make you feel good about what you were trying to do.
She complimented, encouraged, and affirmed at every possible opportunity.
We like to be around people who make us feel good. We all need to be affirmed and supported.
We look to the Lord for approval, because we want more than anything for Him to be proud of us.
He is. When we try to live upright and holy lives, we are doing that which makes Him happiest.
He will continually bless those who do good, for to them belongs the Kingdom of God.
Prayer: Help me know that I'm on the right track, dear God. Let me know that what I am trying to do pleases You. Keep me ever in Your care. Amen.0 -
Monday, October 21
For the Love of Work
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.”
Amos 9:13
Working:
People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do is the name of a 1974 book by the late journalist and historian Studs Terkel.
The author interviewed scores of “ordinary” people to explore how work can result in the discovery of meaning in life—or not.
Bible Reading:
Genesis 1:26
Because work can be difficult, we often resent it.
But because humans were created to work (Genesis 1:26; 2:15), it can be incredibly rewarding.
What if work could be both enjoyable and rewarding at the same time?
While the Bible doesn’t describe work in the Millennium specifically, we do know that all of creation will reflect God’s created order and purposes without the constraints of sin.
The prophet Jeremiah saw it as a time of abundance in the earth with the souls of mankind being “like a well-watered garden” (Jeremiah 31:12).
When work makes you weary, look to the day when your work will be the ultimate expression of God’s gifts and purpose in your life.
A machine can do work; only life can bear fruit. Andrew Murray0 -
Tuesday, October 22
Highway of Holiness
A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness…. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to [Jerusalem] with singing. Isaiah 35:8, 10
Flip Wilson was the first African American comedian to host his own successful television variety show. Many of his catchphrases became iconic in American culture like, “The devil made me do it!”
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 35:1-10
A day is coming when no one will be able to say, “The devil made me do it.”
During Christ’s Millennial Kingdom the devil will be bound (Revelations 20:1-3).
And who will be dwelling on earth then?
Old Testament saints who followed God, Christians who died before the Rapture, those taken to heaven at the Rapture, those who are martyred for their faith during the Tribulation, and those who become believers during the Tribulation but are not martyred and enter the Millennium.
In other words, earth will be populated by all believers in Christ at the beginning of the Millennium!
The prophets foresaw a “Highway of Holiness” leading to Jerusalem on which would walk all those who were holy unto the Lord.
Let us purpose to live holy lives today just as we will in the future (1 Peter 1:15-16).
Everything in Scripture has in view the promotion of holiness. A. W. Pink0 -
Wednesday, October 23
Heavenly Health
And the inhabitant [of Zion] will not say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity. Isaiah 33:24
The World Health Organization estimates that global healthcare spending rose to $9 trillion in 2020—when the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread.
That dollar amount represented around 11 percent of global gross domestic product.
Nine trillion dollars is an incomprehensible number, but imagine how those dollars could be spent if the world wasn’t subject to illness.
Bible Reading:
Psalm 103:1-3
There was no sickness in the Garden of Eden, but when sin entered the world, sickness followed.
All sickness is the result, directly or indirectly, of sin—of living in a fallen world.
Scripture clearly connects sin and sickness in the same discussion (Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 2:8-11; James 5:14-16).
But in the Millennium, things will be different.
The world will be a healthier place (Isaiah 4:2; 27:6; Joel 2:24) and most people will live in resurrected, immortal bodies not subject to illness (1 Corinthians 15:43-53).
Even though we may be subject to illness today, we can seek and trust “the Lord who heals [us]” (Exodus 15:26).
His words are “life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).
Health is a good thing; but sickness is far better, if it leads us to God. J. C. Ryle0 -
Thursday October 24
Only the Beginning
His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:21
Awards and rewards are presented in all segments of society: sports, business, government, military, entertainment, and more. And it starts at an early age—what child doesn’t delight in receiving a gold star for a job well done? Almost all human awards have one thing in common: They focus on past behavior or achievements.
Bible Reading:
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
For all who inherit a place in Christ’s future Millennial Kingdom, a different kind of reward will be received—a reward that focuses on the future.
Rewards for faithfulness in this life will result in the privilege of service for Christ in His Kingdom in the future.
The Millennium is not going to be a thousand-year vacation. Rather, it will be the manifestation of God’s just rule and economy on earth as administered by the saints of God who inherit the Kingdom.
In Jesus’ parable of the talents, the servants who were faithful over some things were then made rulers over many things (Matthew 25:14-30).
Our service for Christ in this life is not the end—it is only the beginning!
The highest honor in the church is not
government but service. John Calvin0 -
Friday, October 25
The End of the Age
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations…and to gather them for battle. Revelation 20:7-8, NIV
The Coming Golden Age will end with one final rebellion against God. For reasons we don’t fully understand, Satan will be released from his prison and deceive many people once again. He will try to reenact the Battle of Armageddon, hoping for a better outcome.
John said, “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them” (Revelation 20:9, NIV). At last the devil will be tossed into hell with the Beast and False Prophet, and we’ll be rid of him for good—forever!
Bible Reading:
Revelation 20:7-10
As we engage in spiritual warfare now, let’s keep our eyes on the Victor.
Jesus defeated Satan by His death and resurrection.
The victory is already ours. John, the author of the book of Revelation, also said, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true” (1 John 5:19-20, NIV).
Rejoice today, for the Victor is near us!
You are not fighting for victory, but from victory, for Jesus Christ has already defeated Satan! Warren Wiersbe1 -
Saturday, October 26
If My People: I Will Hear and Answer
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Bible Reading:
2 Chronicles 29:1-11
On September 16, 1859, a newspaper in Ballynahinch, Ireland, carried this article:
“For the last two months the Lord’s work has been spreading in this place; hundreds…have passed through the gate of conversion.
Prayer meetings…are conducted by the young and old…. Let a minister be seen passing anywhere…and going into a house and, in a few minutes, the reapers would be seen leaving the fields and thronging the house, such is their unquenchable thirst for the means of grace.
That’s what revival looks like. Young and old leading prayer meetings. People seeking the means of grace. Many being converted. Everyone hungry for the Word of God and the downpouring of the Holy Spirit.
That’s what the nations of the world need now!
The formula is in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The people of God must humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways. Our Lord will hear, heal, and forgive!
Let the revival begin in your heart today!
The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it. Leonard Ravenhill0 -
October 27
Wisdom from the Psalms
Psalm 129:2
Many a time have they afflicted me f rom my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
Saundra was handicapped. Her hands were twisted beyond usefulness, and she had lived with them since birth. They caused her not only physical pain, but emotional anguish as well.
Throughout her childhood, cruel children had mocked her.
The damage done to her self-esteem was immense, and for a long period she believed that she could never do anything.
In college she had met a friend who led her to Christ. In Christ she found a new desire to succeed and beat her affliction.
She received a Master's degree in Therapy and Handicapped Services and became national spokeswoman for a handicap-awareness campaign.
Though her detractors had always had something to say, Saundra prevailed and rose above her handicap.
The Lord gives us all the ability to rise above the things that limit us. If we will only lean upon Him, He will give us the will and drive to succeed in every situation. His power can be our power when we call upon His holy name.
Prayer: There are times, dear Lord, when I feel I don't amount to much. My self-image is bruised, and my determination is crushed. Be with me in those times, and lift me up. Amen.0 -
Monday, October 28
Worship in Person
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that…. Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” Micah 4:1-2
Today, the center of our spiritual worship is our local church; Paul refers to the Church today as God’s temple (Ephesians 2:21). In the Millennium, worship will change.
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 2:2-4
While believers will still gather locally, worship will once again have a central focus: Jerusalem and a new temple (Ezekiel 40–45).
People from every nation will stream to Jerusalem to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords (Zechariah 8:23) whose government will emanate from the Holy City: “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9).
Today, we worship Him whom we have not seen “with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
But in the Millennial Kingdom, we will worship Him whom we will see with our own eyes, for He will receive our worship in person.
As you worship the Lord today, bear in mind what your worship will be like in the Kingdom—for a thousand years and beyond.
Nobody can call himself a Christian who does not worship Jesus. John R. W. Stott
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Wednesday, October 30
Pigweed
Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it. Genesis 3:17
The New York Times ran an article titled “Attack of the Superweeds.” Some unwanted plants have developed a resistance to modern herbicides.
Pigweed, for example, can grow three inches a day, and it’s no longer threatened by sprays. It can also suppress corn yields by up to ninety percent.1
Bible Reading:
Revelation 22:1-5
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, all creation was affected.
The ground was cursed so that weeds grew more easily than crops—as all of us who have gardened know. But there’s wonderful news.
During the thousand-year reign of Christ the curse will be abated.
The ground will become more fruitful.
And after the thousand years, we’ll receive a new heaven and new earth. Revelation 22:3 says, “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.”
Sin and sinful habits do a lot of damage.
We have to work to eradicate them from our patterns of life, just as we have to pull weeds from our gardens.
But in the Millennium, the curse will be abated, and in eternity it will be totally absent. So rejoice over that the next time you deal with pigweed!
The Curse is real, but it is temporary. Jesus is the cure for the Curse. Randy Alcorn0 -
Thursday, October 31
The Living Bridge
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
Revelation 21:5
Have you ever seen a living root bridge? Most are found in India, where bridges are formed from the aerial roots of trees. Some trees, like Banyans, send root tendrils down to the ground. When these trees are near rivers or valleys, engineers stretch and root them on the other side. They become ingenious footbridges.
Bible Reading:
Revelation 21:1-5
The greatest living bridge of all time, however, is the Millennial reign of Christ, a thousand-year bridge between human history and the eternal state.
The Coming Golden Age will not be heaven. It will serve as a bridge to heaven for the redeemed. Sin and death, though rarer, will still occur.
Revelation 20 tells us about the Millennium, which is followed by the Great White Throne Judgment when heaven and earth pass away.
When we come to chapters 21 and 22, we are in eternity: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).
Oh, how much we have for us in the future! How wonderful to be assured of a blessed home forever! Let’s rejoice in that today!
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Fanny Crosby1