VERSE OF THE DAY
John 14:6 (New King James Version)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Christ's Radiance and Representation - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature" (Heb. 1:3).
Jesus is both God manifest and God in substance.

Just as the rays of the sun give light, warmth, life, and growth to the earth, so Jesus Christ is the glorious light of God shining into the hearts of men and women. As "the radiance of God's glory," Jesus expresses God to us. No one can see God in His full glory; no one ever will. The radiance of that glory that reaches us from God appears in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Just as the sun was never without and can never be separated from its brightness, so God was never without and cannot be separated from the glory of Christ. Never was God without Him or He without God, and never in any way can He be separated from God. Yet the brightness of the sun is not the sun, and neither is Jesus exactly the same as God in that sense. He is fully and absolutely God, yet as a distinct

Advent: A Time of Anticipation - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Are you ready for Christ’s return?

Revelation 19:7-9

This month, many of us rush from appointment to appointment as we shop, cook, and attend concerts, special church services, and other gatherings. Some of us look forward to the time with loved ones and the busyness of the Christmas season, while others of us breathe a sigh of relief when it’s all over.

This time of year, we encounter many well-intentioned articles and programs encouraging us to slow down and simplify. That can be good counsel. Considering what isn’t essential in a packed December schedule can be a clarifying exercise. But it might be helpful to add another question to the conversation: As we prepare for Christmas, who is it we’re waiting for?

The final chapters of Revelation are a reminder about the One who is coming. The wait of Advent can point us toward this reality and motivate a year-round mindset of readying ourselves for a l

VERSE OF THE DAY
John 11:25 (New King James Version)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

The Creator of the World - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"In these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son . . . through whom also He made the world" (Heb. 1:2).
Christ is the agent through whom God created the world.

John 1:3 testifies, "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Jesus has the ability to create something out of nothing (cf. Rom. 4:17), and that sets Him apart from mere creatures. Only God can create like that; we can't. If you could create, you'd live in a different house, drive a different car, and probably have a different job—if you had any job at all. You could just sit in your backyard and make money. Fortunately, God didn't give depraved men and women the right to be creators.

The ability to create ex nihilo belongs to God alone and the fact that Jesus creates like that indicates He is God and establishes His absolute superiority over everything. He created everything material and spirit

The Lamb Is Fighting for You - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

We can face the future with hope because Jesus will overcome every enemy we face.

Revelation 17:14

Toward the end of the book of Revelation, the conflict intensifies between those who have aligned themselves with Jesus and those who oppose Him. Waves of God’s judgment unfold on earth and further harden His opponents’ hearts. But the overall message of Revelation isn’t doom and gloom; it’s hope. The book is meant to bring comfort to God’s people as they face tribulation.

Today’s reading contains a message of encouragement that relates to both the first and second coming of Christ. The prophet Isaiah said the Messiah would be known as “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). Jesus, the Lamb of God, gave His life for us, overcoming death. And He promised to be with us always. So, when we find ourselves in the midst of fiery trials and spiritual battles, we can rest in the assurance o

VERSE OF THE DAY
John 10:14-15 (New King James Version)

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

The Heir of All Things - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"In these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things" (Heb. 1:2).
Since Jesus is the Son of God, He is the heir of all that God possesses.

When Christ first came to earth He became poor for our sakes, that we, through His poverty, might be made rich (2 Cor. 8:9). He had nothing for Himself—He had "nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58). Even His clothes were taken from Him when He died, and He was buried in a tomb that belonged to someone else.

It is beyond our understanding to imagine that the Galilean carpenter who was crucified like a common criminal, naked and bleeding on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem, is the King of kings and Lord of lords. But He is!

As the Son of God, Jesus is the heir of all that God possesses. The apostle Paul explains that all things not only were created by Christ but also for Him (Col. 1:16). Everything that exists will find its true meaning only

The Mission and Ministry of Angels - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Why did God create these heavenly beings?

Revelation 10:1-3

We see images of angels all around us at Christmastime. In some of these, angels are portrayed as slim Victorian beauties with flowing hair, giant feathered wings, and elegant gowns. Others look like adorable babies carrying tiny harps. But these representations have very little in common with the terrifying angelic messengers found in today’s passage and throughout Scripture. In fact, their first words to the humans they encounter are usually “Do not be afraid.”

In the final book of the New Testament, these heavenly emissaries play a significant role. For one thing, in the first two verses of chapter 1, an angel gives John the revelation from which the book gets its title. Later, angels worship God (Revelation 5:11-12) and provide help and care to His people (Revelation 7:2-3). Then they loudly proclaim the good news of Jesus (Revelation 1

VERSE OF THE DAY
John 10:7, 9-10 (New King James Version)

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

God's Final Revelation - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2).

Jesus not only brought but in fact was God’s full and final revelation.

A Samaritan woman declared, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us" (John 4:25). The expectation of that day, even among the Samaritans, was that Messiah would unfold the full and final revelation of God. The Holy Spirit, through the writer of Hebrews, affirms that to be true: "God . . . in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2).

The Old Testament had given divine revelation in bits and pieces. Every piece was true, yet incomplete. But When Jesus came, the whole picture became clear, and though rejected by His own people, He was, in fact, the fulfillment of the messianic hope they had cherished for so ma

The Songs of Longing - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

The baby born in a manger will return in all His glory as King of Kings.

Revelation 5:11-13

Throughout history, the church has seen Advent—the weeks leading up to Christmas—as a time to focus on a weary world’s wait for a Savior. We reflect on Christ’s first coming, when He arrived as a baby miraculously born to a virgin in Bethlehem. And we look toward His someday return as a conquering King, which is described vividly throughout the book of Revelation.

When we think of that final book of the Bible, we tend to focus on the descriptions of heaven and celestial beings, spiritual warfare, and pronouncements of God’s judgment. But laced throughout the book are songs of worship, which anchor us to the eternal reality that God reigns over all.

Meditating on these songs offers a powerful harmony to the carols we sing at this time of year. In Revelation 5, John writes, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb b

VERSE OF THE DAY
John 8:12 (New King James Version)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Progressive Revelation - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2).

The Old Testament is but a sample of what is revealed in the New Testament.

When Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets [the Old Testament]; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill" (Matt. 5:17), He was affirming that Scripture progressed from promise to fulfillment, from partial to complete. We call that progressive revelation.

For example, the Old Testament anticipated Christ's coming; the New Testament records His coming. The Old Testament writers didn't understand everything they wrote because it didn't always apply to their day. That's why Peter said, "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ

An Invitation Back to the Future - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Understanding God’s plan for tomorrow helps us make better choices today.

Revelation 1:1-3

In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Ebenezer Scrooge grave images of his future. Scrooge cries, “No, Spirit! Oh, no, no! ... Hear me! I am not the man I was … Why show me this, if I am past all hope?” Through his fictional work, Charles Dickens wanted to show readers a very real truth: Making necessary changes in their life today leads to a different, better future.

For followers of Jesus, the book of Revelation points to this reality in a sobering but ultimately hopeful way—not as a work of fiction, but as a powerful, prophetic truth. The opening verses of Revelation carry a promise for us: “Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (1:3).

Revelation invites us to peer ahead to the f

VERSE OF THE DAY
John 6:35 (New King James Version)

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Penetrating the Box - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2).
Man can’t discover God on his own; God must reveal Himself to man.

Since the beginning of time, man has deceived himself by thinking he can discover God through various religions. But in reality, man lives in a box enclosed within the walls of time and space. God is outside the box, and man senses He's there but can't get to Him. Each new religion is but another futile attempt to penetrate the walls of the box and catch a glimpse of God.

Man's only hope is for God to enter the box, which Hebrews 1:1-2 declares He did: first by letter (the Old Testament), then in person (in Jesus Christ). Regarding God's Word David said, "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue" (2 Sam. 23:2). Jeremiah added, "The Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth

The Words of Our Mouth - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Are your words strengthening those around you or giving them burdens to carry?

Proverbs 16:21-24

Our words help us do many good things: We can use them to talk to our heavenly Father. We can speak the truth of Scripture and sing praises to Jesus Christ. We can love, encourage, advise, and teach those around us. The list goes on and on.

However, our voices also have the power to do great harm. When a problem like this occurs, it’s often been triggered by something small—perhaps a critique made in anger or a jab caused by envy. Harsh words may feel good, even justified at times. But they never bring about what God desires because, in the end, they aren’t life-giving. They’re not what we, as Christ-followers, are meant to offer (Matthew 22:36-40).

Jesus teaches us that “the good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good … for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke

VERSE OF THE DAY
Hebrews 1:1-2 (New King James Version)

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, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Jesus: Our Great High Priest - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"The point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Heb. 8:1).

Since Jesus serves as our High Priest, we have access to God.

Access to God was always a problem for the Jewish people. Exodus 33:20 declares that no man can see God and live. Once each year, on the great Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the Jewish high priest entered into the Holy of Holies, where God's presence dwelt in a unique sense, to approach God on behalf of the people.

God's covenant with Israel was the basis for their communion with Him. And the sacrificial system that accompanied the Old Covenant gave the people an outward act to represent their inner repentance. But their sacrifices were incessant because their sin was incessant. They needed a perfect priest and sacrifice to provide access to God permanently. That's exactly what Jesus was

Deeply Known - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Have you been so changed by Jesus’ love that you are willing to follow Him anywhere?

Acts 9:1-22

Yesterday, we explored the glorious truth that no one is beyond God’s reach. His love can rescue anyone, no matter how far the person has fallen. Along those lines, let’s consider Saul of Tarsus, who was later known as the apostle Paul. On the road to Damascus, which Saul walked while “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples” (Acts 9:1), he met the Savior, and everything changed.

Jesus called him by name, saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (v. 4). But the persecutor couldn’t respond by addressing the Lord, because he didn’t yet know Christ. He didn’t have to wait long, however. “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” the Lord told the soon-to-be apostle (v. 5). And it was then that the great work began. Paul began “proclaim[ing] Jesus in the synagogues” and “proving that this Jesus is the Chris

VERSE OF THE DAY
John 1:1-2, 14 (New King James Version)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

The Preeminence of Christ - Drawing Near John MacArthur

"God . . . has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:1-3).

Christ is superior to everyone and everything.

The book of Hebrews was addressed to an audience composed of Jewish Christians, Jewish non-Christians who were intellectually convinced about Jesus but hadn't yet committed themselves to Him, and Jewish non-Christians who didn't believe the gospel at all.

The author's goal was to demonstrate Christ's superiority over everyone and everything that had preceded Him, whether Old Testament persons, institutions, rituals, or sacrifices. He specifically contrasted Christ with angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron and his priesthood, the Old Cov

Is Anyone Beyond God’s Reach? - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

The miraculous power of God’s love will flow through us when we obey His command to forgive.

Acts 26:9-18

Three years after her release from the Ravensbrück concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom came face-to-face with a former Nazi guard. She was in Munich to give a speech, and just as she finished, the man walked toward her. He said, “I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me … but I would like to hear it from your lips as well.” And, empowered by the love of Christ, she did just that.

The man had actively participated in the Holocaust, one of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind. Yet he wasn’t beyond the Lord’s reach. Called “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9-10), this onetime enemy received the mercy offered only by almighty God.

The Holy Spirit is always working to bring men and women to saving faith. He uses believers’ lives and testimonies—like those

VERSE OF THE DAY
2 Peter 3:10-11 (New King James Version)

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

An Unlikely Heroine - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace" (Heb. 11:31).

Rahab illustrates the depth and breadth of God’s amazing grace.

Our final Old Testament hero of faith is an unlikely addition to the list. Not only was she a prostitute, she also was a Gentile—and a Canaanite at that.

The Canaanites were an idolatrous, barbaric, debauched people, infamous even among pagans for their immorality and cruelty. Yet in the midst of that exceedingly wicked society, Rahab came to faith in the God of Israel.

Joshua 2:9-11 records her confession of faith to the two men Joshua had sent into Jericho as spies: "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of

A Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Are you praying for God's will to be done on earth?

Acts 1:11-14

Jesus talked a lot about prayer. He taught its importance not only by His words but also through His actions. At times His prayers were spoken publicly; sometimes He withdrew from the crowds to be alone with the Father. Jesus also spoke of the power of united prayer (Matthew 18:19-20).

If our church gatherings and small groups were to offer heavenly-minded petitions on a consistent basis, what would our prayer meetings be like? There would be greater focus on God and His kingdom. More of us would praise Him for who He is, express godly sorrow for our sinful ways (2 Corinthians 7:10), and speak of our gratitude for all He has done. Our voices would be lifted in praise as we witnessed people coming to the Lord, pride giving way to humility, and insensitivity being replaced by love. We’d rejoice in our glimpses of God’s work in and through

VERSE OF THE DAY
Psalm 136:1,26 (New King James Version)

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Conquering in Conflict - Drawing Near - John MacArthur

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days" (Heb. 11:30).

Faith is the key to spiritual conquest.

Forty years had lapsed since the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land. That unbelieving generation had perished in the wilderness. Now Joshua was leading a new generation into the land. The first obstacle they faced was Jericho—a well- fortified city that was near the mouth of the Jordan River.

Some city walls of that day were wide enough at the top to allow two chariots to ride side-by-side. That was probably true of Jericho because of its strategic location. That, coupled with the caliber of its army, made the city virtually impregnable— especially to unsophisticated Israelites, who lacked military training.

But what is impossible for man is easy for God. And the stage was set for Him to demonstrate His power and for the Israelites to demonstrate their faith and humi

Heavenly-Minded Prayers - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Be sure that you are asking God for what's most important in your life and the lives of those you love.

Colossians 1:9-14

We belong to Jesus, and our home is not of this world. Do our prayers reflect that? The Lord wants us to talk to Him about our day and bring our personal requests, but He desires that we pray for kingdom concerns, too—prayers for others’ salvation and for the spiritual growth of His children.

Let’s look at Paul’s prayers. They were Christ-centered and kingdom-related—that people know Jesus, pattern their life after Him, and carry out God’s will. The apostle yearned for believers to be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding and to walk in a worthy manner. He prayed that they would please the Lord, be fruitful, and increase in their knowledge of God. Finally, he asked that they be strengthened with the Spirit’s power and exhibit steadfastness and patience. Our God delights to answer s