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 distinc

The Pattern for Servanthood - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Jesus performed the ultimate act of service by sacrificing His life for us.

Matthew 20:25-28

We often think of great people as the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus had all that, He laid it aside to become a servant (Isaiah 42:1).

Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father’s plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries—each of us—were undeserving. God, who is holy and righteous, has “eyes ... too pure to approve evil, and [He] can not look on wickedness with favor” (Habakkuk 1:13). Yet all of humanity is marked by wrongdoing (Romans 3:23).

Jesus’ ultimate act of service was to give His life to rescue us (Matt. 20:28). He made it possible for all of us to be free and to experience the joy that comes with being united to God in love, which was the Father’s intention from the moment we were created by His loving hands.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we receive the gift

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 spir

The Source of Peace - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Nothing can take away the peace we have in Christ.

Colossians 3:14-15

Jesus is our peace. Did you know God offers serenity of heart to all believers? The Holy Spirit, who lives inside every follower of Christ, can keep peace flowing like sap from a vine to its branches (John 15:1-5). But sadly, many Christians overlook this endless source of calm because of certain false assumptions.

Some wrongly think that peace is the result of ideal conditions, but this world is far from perfect. That means we will never achieve the exact life we want on this earth, and its circumstances cannot provide us serenity.

Others believe peace must be requested from God, who seems far away in the heavens. But the union between the Lord and His followers is intimate. Tranquility is available to us immediately from Christ because He lives within us.

The Living Bible paraphrase captures how our relationship with Jesus should look: “

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 on

How to Deal With Unforgiveness - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

In the aftermath of hurt, follow these steps to protect your relationships.

Matthew 18:21-22

God’s Word tells us to forgive those who hurt us. So let’s identify practical ways to confront unforgiveness head-on:

Take it seriously. Unforgiveness shouldn’t be dismissed as unimportant.

Assume responsibility. Don’t blame others for your actions.

Confess it honestly. Be specific with God about what you feel, and acknowledge that unforgiveness is sin.

Lay down your anger (Ephesians 4:31-32). Unless you deal with your resentment, bitterness can reenter your life later on.

Pray for the one who wronged you (Matthew 5:44). Though this may feel impossible, it’s important. Praying is a choice that can impact relationships and change your outlook.

Ask that individual to forgive you. If the other person knows you’ve been harboring bitterness, consider asking for his or her forgiveness. Sometimes reachi

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

Grace to You: Drawing Near Daily Devotion

"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

Consequences of Unforgiveness - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Is there anyone you need to forgive today?

Hebrews 12:14-15

Scripture tells us the importance of pardoning those who have offended us. Why? Because unforgiveness ...

Harms our interactions. Have you ever tried to maintain a relationship with someone who is steeped in bitterness? You can’t because that person is fixated on unhealthy negative feelings.

Hinders our prayer life. Unforgiveness is sin, and unconfessed sin creates “static” in our relationship with God. So we should forgive others before prayer or worship (Matthew 5:23-24).

Damages our witness. The highlight of your testimony is salvation—namely, that Jesus forgave your sins and saved you from their eternal consequences. How can you share this if the person you’re talking to can’t see a hint of forgiveness in your own life?

Thwarts our spiritual growth. God will not bless sinful actions. So if you are living mired in unforgiveness, you

Consequences of Unforgiveness - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Is there anyone you need to forgive today?

Hebrews 12:14-15

Scripture tells us the importance of pardoning those who have offended us. Why? Because unforgiveness ...

Harms our interactions. Have you ever tried to maintain a relationship with someone who is steeped in bitterness? You can’t because that person is fixated on unhealthy negative feelings.

Hinders our prayer life. Unforgiveness is sin, and unconfessed sin creates “static” in our relationship with God. So we should forgive others before prayer or worship (Matthew 5:23-24).

Damages our witness. The highlight of your testimony is salvation—namely, that Jesus forgave your sins and saved you from their eternal consequences. How can you share this if the person you’re talking to can’t see a hint of forgiveness in your own life?

Thwarts our spiritual growth. God will not bless sinful actions. So if you are living mired in unforgiveness, you

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 Chri

Our Best Friend Is Jesus - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Jesus is our Friend—what does that mean to you?

John 15:9-17

There’s a children’s Sunday school song with a little chorus that says, “My best friend is Jesus.” As adults, we probably don’t sing this song on a regular basis, but we should not forget the truth that Jesus is indeed our friend.

As believers learn more about God, they rightly elevate Him. It is easier to think of our Creator, Savior, and Lord as high and mighty than to “lower” Him in our estimation to the status of a friend. But Jesus makes a point of telling His disciples that He is both the Son of God and their companion (John 15:15).

His offer of friendship extends to us as well. Like the original 12 followers, we are privileged to say that Christ laid down His life for us in a supreme act of love and devotion (v. 13). What’s more, His Spirit reveals the truth of Scripture to our heart so we can learn more about God and His ways. In other wo

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 mou

In What Should We Boast? - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

God's instructions and actions don't always appear reasonable from a human perspective.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

The first challenge to humanity’s faith in God took place in the garden of Eden. Spurred on by the serpent’s lies, Eve looked at her situation from a different perspective and began to doubt the Lord. Her faith faltered as she considered all she had to gain from eating the fruit God had forbidden (Genesis 3:4-6).

God has blessed human beings with the ability to reason, but this skill should take a back seat when the Lord speaks. In fact, His instructions and actions don’t always seem logical from our perspective. Why? Because His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Paul takes this truth a step further by pointing out that God’s choices can even seem foolish by the world’s standards (1 Cor. 1:18-20). Those who recognize their helplessness against sin understand their great need f

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 wa

The Cost of Discipleship - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Those who deny themselves to follow Jesus discover the greatest adventure in life.

Matthew 10:24-42

Salvation is a free gift of God. It comes to us through faith in Jesus, whose sacrifice fully paid for our forgiveness and reconciliation with God. There’s not a single thing we can add to bring salvation about; our role is simply to believe. But from that moment on, each of us must make a choice: Will we follow Jesus or just coast along, doing what we want? If we limit our Christianity to merely sitting in a pew, we’ll miss the greatest adventure of our life.

Jesus never painted a rosy picture when He called people to follow Him (Matthew 24:9). He stated quite plainly that becoming His follower would require self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering. Following Jesus means that He directs our life. We give up our rights to do whatever we want and instead submit to His will, even when it is difficult or doesn’t alig

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

David’s Devotion - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

God wants you to enjoy a close relationship with Him.

Psalms 3:1-8

Do you want to know who God is and what He cares about most in your life? You may have stored up knowledge about Scripture, volunteered to serve, or given generously to the church—all core habits of believers. But God’s highest priority is the depth of your personal relationship with Him.

David understood this, and it strengthened him in times of trouble. When his son tried to take over the throne, David wrote these words: “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me ... I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about” (Ps. 3:3; Ps. 3:6). He knew that even in adversity, he could count on God’s unfailing love and protection.

Throughout the psalms, we repeatedly see David’s unwavering dependence on God. It was that passion—not his strength, charisma, or anything else—that made him a great man. Even though he

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 o

Why Christ Came - In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley

Jesus came to reveal the true nature of the Father.

John 17:5-8

Ask a church goer why Jesus came, and you will probably hear something based on Luke 19:10—namely, “to seek and to save that which was lost.” And this is true. The Savior came to offer us hope, making new the relationship between God and believer. But Jesus’ time on earth was meant to do even more: He came to reveal the true nature of the Father.

In the garden of Eden, knowledge of the Lord was like a little trickle. Later Moses explained the Law so that the Israelites would know what was expected of them, and the trickle became a stream. When the prophets revealed more about God, the stream widened into a river. Then came Jesus, the very embodiment of His Father, and it was as if a dam broke on the sea of knowledge.

Scripture has given us a detailed picture of Jesus’ character so we can build a relationship with God based on His unwavering love and co

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 hu