Daily Growth Point

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.I read about a little boy who was preparing to leave for his piano lesson. Before they left the house his mother wanted to make sure he was presentable when he got to his teacher. “Did you wash your hands?”She asked“yes, Mother,” he replied “Did you wash your face?” Yes, Mother,” he said once more. “And did you wash behind your ears?” she continued.He hesitated for a moment and then said, “On her side I did.”It is possible to outwardly conform to the commands of Scripture for a time without truly desiring to love and follow God, but eventually what is on the inside will show up in our lives. If we want our conduct to be pleasing to God, we should begin by focusing on the heart. For what is made right inwardly shows on the outside. The cleansing of our lives begins when we align our hearts with the things God wants us to love.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In the work Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice was confused as to which way she should journey when she encountered the Cheshire Cat.Alice asked, “Would you tell me, Please, which way I ought to go from here?”“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to” said the Cat.“I don’t much care where —” said Alice.“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” Said the Cat.Life can be filled with activity that leads us no where. These urgent activities can easily drown out the most important things in life. When we run all over town to get the kids to the next activity, but never sit down together at dinner together, we have missed the most important for the urgent.Christ came with a singular purpose and stayed dedicated to that purpose no matter how much activity filled his life. May we follow His example.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Any one who has done gardening knows the importance of getting the ground ready before you plant. If you simply chop holes into a grassy field and plant some seeds, your harvest is going to be puny — if there is any production at all. Instead you have to break up the ground, take out the rocks, and remove the weeds.Preparing the ground is only the first step. If you just prepare the ground and leave it you will mostly grow weeds and not garden. Those pesky weeds will move in and take over the whole plot. You must sow the right seeds!A vital part of breaking a bad habit is replacing it with a good one. It is easy to focus on just removing the old way, but we must also focus on investing in a new way to live for Christ. If your life is filled with the Spirit of God, the devil will find he has little room to operate.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.One truth we must wrestle with is the reality of Satan and his power in this world. He defeated man in the Garden and has continued to reign over this world as a tyrant. Yet, despite his ability over man, Christ Himself is greater! When Christ died on the cross, Satan thought he had won. That moment was not a defeat for Christ, for He laid down His life in our place. Three days later, we saw death defeated forever by Christ! What started in defeat, ended in victory for all that trust in Jesus. Sometimes we look at our weakness and feel discouraged. The truth is, we are weaker than Satan. But it is also true that our God is Greater! “Greater is He that is in YOU than he that is in the world.”

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In 1858, accepting his nomination as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln sounded a theme that two years later would see him elected to the White House-- the pressing need for national unity. Lincoln said, “‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”What is true for nations is true for churches and families as well. If we allow ourselves to be divided, the future is dark. Since we know that a house divided cannot stand, we should be diligent in working to keep a spirit of unity.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Many years ago, a man left home and turned his back on his family and the God they loved. For eighteen years he lived life his own way and eventually he found himself as a beggar on the streets. While begging at the Philadelphia train depot he unexpectedly asked money from his own father. When the father saw his son, cried out, “I have found you! I have found you! All that I have is yours!”He said, “I stood there a tramp, begging my father for ten cents when for eighteen years he had been looking for me to give me all he was worth.”At the moment of salvation, God places us in His family and gives us access to all of the privileges and benefits that come with being a child of God. Faith rests on the foundation of God’s love for us. He will never abandon His children.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Despite all the evidence available from astronomy, the space program, and history, the Flat Earth Society still exists, claiming hundreds of members. No matter how many astronauts they talk to, no matter how many moon rocks they see, no matter how many pictures taken from space they are shown, they deny the reality in favor of clinging to their beliefs.Many people in our world take the same approach to God. Despite the evidence of God’s existence, they refuse to believe in Him, because if He exists, they will be accountable to Him. So instead, they cling to any theory that excludes god, no matter how far fetched it may be. As Christians, we have experienced the reality of God at work in our lives, and we should not be just telling but also showing those around us that He is real.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.I heard of a preacher who taught on the importance of aligning our heart’s with God in prayer. He used the analogy of a boat coming up to a dock. He described the process of pulling on a rope that is moored to the dock, and he pointed out that the person on the boat is pulling on the rope, but he isn’t moving the dock — he is moving the boat to align itself with the fixed point. IN the same way, prayer requires that we surrender and submit ourselves and our will to God’s will. We’re not using prayer to change God’s will, but prayer helps to change our hearts to His will. There is no legitimate prayer that does not begin with a commitment to God’s will rather than our own. When we pray the way Jesus instructed, we are positioned for God to work great things in our lives.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Dr. John Rice told a story about a prayer that highlights a trap many of us fall into . When their oldest daughter Grace was a little girl, the custom of their family was to gather at the table and pray before their meal.Dr. Rice said that he noticed a peculiar trait in his daughter. Just before he would finish praying, she would begin saying, “Amen, Amen.” He then said, “As I thought on it, I realized that I was just saying the same words day after day, and she said, ‘Amen’ because she knew I was almost finished.”Prayer is not just a ritual featuring meaningless repetition of words we say with our eyes closed. Prayer is pouring out our hearts before God. The power and provision of God flow into our lives in response to our prayers. Don’t let a lack of sincere prayer keep your life from experiencing the power and presence of the Lord.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.The story is told that one day a man went into the bookstore owned by Benjamin Franklin. When he found the book he wished to purchase, the clerk told him it was one dollar.He objected, “That price is too high. Ask your boss if he will lower it.” When Franklin arrived, He heard the man’s request then promptly raised the price of the book.The man asked why the price kept increasing. Franklin said, “Do you not see that you are wasting my time? The price of the book was one dollar. But because you are wasting my time, the price of the book has to go up.”None of us has enough time to do everything that could be done. The key to making good decisions and spending our lives wisely is to order our priorities so that the best of our time, energy, and resources are devoted to the things that truly matter.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham. In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom told the story of asking her father about something he didn’t think she was old enough to understand. She wrote, “He turned to look at me, … but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case off the seat and set it on the floor. ‘Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?’ He said. I stood up and tugged at it. … ‘It’s too heavy,’ I said. ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘and it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.’”Many times the burdens that we carry are self-imposed. We find ourselves weighed down, because we have taken on things we should not. Do not allow yourself to be encumbered by burdens you were never meant to carry.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Ira Sankey, told the story of a British actress who was saved in a most unusual way. As she walked down the street one day, she heard a group singing in preparation for a Bible study.The song stuck in her mind and her heart, and she finally went and got a hymn book that had the song in it and sang it over and over until she had learned it by heart. In just a few days, she had given her heart to Christ. In her final debut she chose to sing that one hymn that had drawn her heart to receive God’s great mercy and forgiveness: “Depth of Mercy can there be,Mercy still reserved for me?Everyone of us who are saved have been the recipients of God’s mercy. In turn, He commands us to show mercy toward others, because a merciful heart rests on the foundation of undeserved forgiveness.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.I read about a children’s Sunday School teacher who taught her pupils from the parable of the Pharisee and the publican praying in the Temple. When she finished her lesson she called on one of her students to pray. The little boy said, “God, thank You that I’m not like that Pharisee!”If we set out to justify ourselves, we can always find a reason why what we have done is not as bad as others. Sometimes we will even rationalize our behavior. But God doesn’t grade on a curve. He does not compare us to what others are doing, but rather to the perfect standard of His Son. He sees us as we really are, and He will not accept any attempt to avoid personal responsibility. The only hope we have is to abandon our efforts and rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ, so confess your sins and trust in Him for salvation.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In 1944, during a massive storm, the SS Richard Montgomery, a ship loaded with thousands of tons of bombs, broke up and sank not far from the English coast. Despite the danger posed by the unexploded ordinance, the decision was made to leave it in place for fear of setting off a massive explosion. It would be more dangerous to try to remove the bombs than it was to leave them in place. Every human being is born with a lethal danger within — a sin nature that we inherit passed down from Adam. But we are not just sinners by nature, we are also sinners by choice. Our sin problem requires a solution.Jesus Christ Himself was the only one to ever live perfectly and not carry the sin nature. When He died on the cross, He died in our place and we can receive the gift of salvation through Him. It is only by accepting His sacrifice on our behalf that we can have salvation.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.For much of history in many parts of the world, the Word of God was only available on a limited basis. Even today there are groups of people who do not have the Bible available in their own language. Yet in our nation with the Scriptures in bookstores, online, on mobile device, and easy to find, far too many Christians ignore the blessings of the Bible. King George V of England once wrote, “It is my confident hope that my subjects will never cease to cherish their noble inheritance in the English Bible, which is the first of national treasures. Its spiritual significance is the most valuable thing the world affords.”When we open that blessed Book, we hold in our hands what God has revealed. It is sad to not have a copy of the Bible, but it is tragic to have the very Word of God and ignore it.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.On his twenty-fifth birthday, Ford Porter prayed, “Oh God, give me a ministry that will reach souls for Christ, encircle the world, and be carried on long after I am gone.” In 1933, Porter wrote a tract called, “God’s simple Plan of Salvation” which has been used around the world in many languages. To date, over half a billion of these tracts have been distributed all with the message that God’s plan of salvation is by grace through faith without anything else. Those of us who have recieved the gift of eternal life have also recieved the command to take the good news to others. Both salvation and God’s plan to make it known are simple. We recieved the gift of salvation by faith, and we are to make it known with humble dependance on the Holy Spirit.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.When the disciples rejoiced at the victories they had seen in their work, Jesus pointed out to them that they were rejoicing in the wrong thing. The great reason we have for joy in our lives is not found in this world but in the next. Because of the gift of salvation we have received, we have the hope of eternal life that can never be taken away.Matthew Henry said, “Joy and peace as believers arises chiefly from our hopes. What is laid out upon us is but little, compared with what is laid up for us (in glory); therefore the more hope we have the more joy and peace we have.”Any temporal blessing we receive has a limited impact on our lives. But our names are written in Heaven forever, and our eternal destiny has already been sealed by God. This gives us cause to rejoice no matter our circumstances!

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In 1942, Dr. Charles Weigel was in a revival meeting in California. He spent the afternoon between services visiting a large rose garden. He said that when he got to church that evening, people remarked on the smell of the roses that he carried with him when he left the garden. He had not gone to the rose garden for that purpose, but spending time there had an effect on his life and then, by extension, on others as well. Weigel wrote his song, “A Garden of Roses Is Jesus” after that experience.The world today is in desperate need of seeing Christians who bear the mark of having been with Christ. Just as those roses left their mark on Dr. Weigel, so time spent in the presence of Christ leaves a lingering effect so that the entire world can see Christ in us.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Though she lost her eyesight as an infant, Fanny Crosby used the gifts and abilities she had rather than spending her life wishing for what she lacked. She wrote her first poem at the age of eight:O what a happy soul am I Although I cannot see,I am resolved that in this worldContented I will be;How many blessings I enjoyThat other people don’t!To weep and sigh because I’m blind,I cannot, and I won’t!Fanny went on to write the words to more than eight thousand hymns and devoted her life to helping and encouraging others. The secret of contentment is not found in our possessions or position, but in our attitude. Contentment only comes from within. As we trust in the God that never fails, He supplies a contented heart.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.David Brainerd often endured great hardship in his efforts to take the gospel to the American Indians. In his diary, he recounted one mission trip during which an intense storm forced him to seek shelter inside the hollowed out remains of a large tree.As the storm raged outside, Brainerd sat inside praying for the lost. After a while, he began to be hungry, but it was too dangerous to go out to look for something to eat. Soon a squirrel came and deposited several nuts near where Brainerd sat. Brainerd wrote that as he ate the nuts, he realized that God had sent the squirrel just as He sent the ravens to feed Elijah. God has repeatedly told us that He loves us and has promised to provide for us. If we truly believe the promises of God, it will change the way we approach every part of our lives.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In 1792, churches in England united together and formed the Particular Baptist Society with the stated purpose of “Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen” and appointed Carey and John Thomas to go to India as their first missionaries. In a tearful prayer service as they prepared to leave, those who remained behind promised to pray. Andrew Fuller later described their parting with the analogy of miners going deep underground secured by those on the surface holding fast to strong ropes. Fuller said, “Before [Carey] went, we engaged that while he lived we should never let go the rope.”There are many good and necessary things that are part of reaching the lost, but the thing Jesus said should come first is our prayers. We need to be more faithful than ever to pray that God will provide the workers to bring in the harvest.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Though he was saved as a teenager, Charles Studd did little for the Lord until he went to hear D.L. Moody preach. The evangelists’s fervor for the lost stirred something within his heart and he became a fervent soul winner. After surrendering to go to the mission field, Studd gave away his massive inheritance, much of it to George Muller’s orphanage, and spent the rest of his life as a missionary in China, India, and Africa. One of C.T. Studd’s most remembered quotes is, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”There is no way we can fully comprehend the sacrifices Jesus Christ made for our salvation. How, then, could we possibly think any demand he makes of us is too great? When he calls us to action, our heart should be one of total surrender and eagerness to obey our Lord.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.One of the only twelve men to walk on the moon, was Colonel James Irwin. Colonel Irwin was a committed Christian. When he retired from NASA, he traveled the world telling people about Jesus. He said, “As I was returning to earth I realized I was a servant, not a celebrity. So I’m here as God’s servant on Planet Earth to share what I’ve experienced that others might know the glory of God.”The Christian life requires commitment. Just as Colonel Irwin was committed to use his experiences to share Christ, so we too should use what God has given us to accomplish great things for him. But, if we are going to accomplish anything of value for God, we must be committed to follow it through to the end.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.An English pastor of the 1700s, James Hervey, recounted a conversation that he had with a faithful layman in his church that gave him a new appreciation for the dangers of pride to the Christian life. They were talking about the things that hinder spiritual growth, and at one point Hervey said, “I believe the difficulty is our reluctance to renounce our sinful self.” The old farmer looked at him for a few moments and then replied, “No, I believe the greatest difficulty is to renounce our righteous self.”We easily give into the temptation of pride because it is such a comforting sin. But God is not interested in our high opinion of ourselves, for He knows us as we really are. If we insist on our honor and glory, we forfeit our access to His grace and He holds us at arm’s length. The only way to receive God’s grace is to acknowledge that we are not deserving it.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.James Hamilton told a story from the days before electric refrigerators. In those days, icehouses furnished the means of cooling food in the summer months. Thick blocks of ice were cut from ponds and lakes and stored in buildings with thick walls, and covered with layers of sawdust to slow the melting process.Hamilton wrote: “One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. … A small boy who heard about the …search slipped into the icehouse… and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. [He said,] “I closed the door, …lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.”God’s still, small voice can easily be drowned out by the world. Listen intently for Him, then follow his leading.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.When John Paton, the missionary to the New Hebrides islands was working to translate the Word of God into the language of the people he served, he wanted to be sure he conveyed the meaning of the word “Faith” accurately. As he was trying to come up with just the right word, one of the native workers came into the house after a long day of labor. Collapsing into a chair, he propped his feet up and declared how good it felt to sit down. When Paton heard him use his word that meant “lean your whole weight on,” he realized he found the best translation possible for faith.Faith is leaning completely upon the promises and Word of God. When we do not trust in the Lord, we rob ourselves of power and blessing and the answers to prayer that we need. God has never broken a promise. We can “Lean our whole weight on” every word of promise God has ever given.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, a distraught father brought his demon possessed son to the other disciples, but they couldn’t help. They just didn’t have the power to overcome. Vance Havner said, “Too many of us today are shaky about what we believe but not shaken by what we believe. Too many people assemble at God’s house who don’t really believe in the power of God. … As the hymn puts it, ‘All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.’”The challenges of the world that we face are too great for our own strength, that is why God calls us to tap into His strength and find all the resources we need to live victoriously in the Christian life. Rest Assured, God is able!

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.When Jesus came to Earth to be our Saviour, He did not stop being God. The entire time He was here on Earth, He was both fully human and fully divine. Yet even though He was still God, Jesus voluntarily laid aside the power and glory that was His, so that He could provide salvation for the lost. Paul said it this way, “…took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”For one brief moment during Christ’s ministry, however, the true nature of Jesus was revealed as He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John. There on that Mount, the veil was drawn back, and His glory shone through.Seeing Jesus for who He really is will make us want to serve and glorify Him more than ever!

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In his prayer journal, the missionary martyr, Jim Elliott wrote, “Father, take my life, yea, my blood if Thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping fire. I would not save it, for it is not mine to save. Have it. Lord, have it all. Pour out my life as an oblation for the world. Blood is only of value as it flows before thine altar.”Elliott did back up this statement with his very life when he and four other missionaries were killed by the spears of the Ecuadorian tribe they were trying to reach with the gospel. Yet, their death was instrumental in helping others to see the need and surrender their lives to serve the Lord as missionaries.Are you living for what matters most? No Christian will stand before the Lord and regret a single investment that was made into eternity.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.The first two English missionaries to the island of New Hebrides were killed and eaten by the cannibals when they arrived. Despite knowing this, John Paton and his wife determined to risk the dangers to reach these people. As they announced their plans to their church, one of the elder members discouraged the effort, by declaring, “You will be eaten by cannibals!” John Paton responded, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms.”The world tells us that we should cling to our lives and do everything possible to defend them. But God’s call for us is different. The goal of the Christian life is not to be safe, it is to invest in the eternal, and that requires sacrifice.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In a small village in Germany, they have been performing a play depicting the final week of the life of Jesus for nearly 400 years. Some years ago, the actor portraying Jesus fell down during the scene when he was carrying the cross to Calvary. An onlooker was so overcome in the moment that he ran forward to help lift the cross from the actor’s back. Thinking it would be a stage prop, he only used one hand, but found he could not move the heavy wood. Afterward he met the actor who told him, “I cannot look like Jesus unless I carry a real cross.”Salvation is freely provided by God’s grace to all who believe, but it was certainly not free. The awfulness of sin required a great price that had to be paid for salvation. Jesus came into the world, knowing the price that would be required, and He willingly paid it.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Many years ago in a small town in Virginia, the newspaper printed the upcoming sermon topics for the local churches. A pastor named R.I. Williams phoned the editor to share that his sermon for the upcoming Sunday would be titled, “The Lord is My Shepherd.” The editor asked, “Is that all?” To which the pastor replied, “That is enough!” When the paper arrived at his home he opened it to find the printed topic: “The Lord is My Shepherd and That is Enough.”Jesus is not just a good teacher, an ancient mystic, or an example for us to follow. He is not merely a man — although He was fully human. He is the very Son of God and the Messiah who had been promised through the centuries. He was sent into the world to be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. In Jesus we have everything that we will ever need both for this world and the next.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.I heard about a church that had a sign out front which read: “We care about you” Underneath in smaller letters it said: “Sundays 10:00 am only.”When Christ walked the dusty roads in Israel, He never once stopped caring for people. No matter if He was physically exhausted or hungry, He cared about others more than Himself. He said, “For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” He cared for others even at the expense of his own life. The reality is that caring about people and ministering to them and meeting their needs requires effort and sacrifice on our part. There are not shortcuts to touching lives. When we are willing to make sacrifices and invest in the lives of others, it will leave an impact on generations to come.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.There is an old joke about a man who ignored an evacuation order given because of a coming flood. As the water began to rise, a rescue officer in a boat came by his house and told him to get in or he might drown.The man replied, “I’m fine. God will take care of me.” When the water continued to rise, he was eventually forced to the roof of his house. A helicopter flew over and lowered a ladder, but he again refused. “God will take care of me.” After he drowned, he asked God why He hadn’t rescued him. God responded, “I sent you a boat and a helicopter, what else did you want?”There are times when we do not listen to what God has said because it convicts us or would requires us to do something we do not want to do. Make the decision today to choose to obey God, no matter how He may lead.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.When President John Q. Adams lost his bid for a second term in the White House, He ran for and won a seat in the House of Representatives. There he would spend most of the rest of his life fighting to end slavery in America.This position was not widely popular when Adams began his efforts, and often he labored nearly alone. Yet he refused to be discouraged from doing what he believed was right. In the face of the obstacles, Adams said, “Duties are ours. Results are God’s.” Though he did not live to see slavery ended, his faithful work helped bring about the result he longed to see. Many times we may become discouraged by how people respond to truth. But the only thing for which God holds us accountable is faithfulness in declaring the message. Choose to be faithful, and leave the results to God.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, knew the secret of strength through weakness. Complimented once by a friend on the impact of the mission, Hudson answered, “It seemed to me that God looked over the whole world to find a man who was weak enough to do His work, and when He at last found me, He said, ‘He is weak enough—he’ll do.’ All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.”God calls and commands His children to do His work in the world. The plan for reaching the lost and building the church requires God’s people to do the work, but it is a work that can only be done effectively through his power. We must rely on the power and work of the Holy Spirit who lives within us for the ministry we are meant to do. Only in His strength can we fulfill His mission.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.For many people, their greatest fear is death. D.L. Moody once said, “Some day you will read in the papers, ‘D.L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.’ Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal — a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.”Jesus told us, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live…” While there is sorrow in the death of a friend or loved one, for a believer, death no longer has the power to harm us!

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.One of the most famous images from all the years of the White House is a photo that shows President Kennedy seated at his desk while his young son, John plays underneath it. The famed “Resolute desk” made from the timbers of a British ship was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. If you or I went to the White House, we would not be allowed to just walk into the Oval Office and crawl under the desk to play while the president worked. But the family relationship made all the difference for John F. Kennedy, Jr.Through Christ, God has given us the privilege of being adopted into His family. And we have the privilege to enter into His presence and to confidently present our requests to Him. Rejoice that salvation placed you in a new family — and enjoy your privileges as a child of God.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.If you have ever been in a large crowd, you know the feeling of being jostled around by the thong of people. Yet, when Jesus was making His way to the home of Jairus to help his sick daughter, He stopped when a woman, who needed healing reached out by faith to seek his help in her life. Then, in the midst of that throng of people, Christ singled out this woman and made a point to meet her needs. To God, you and I are not part of a huge mass of humanity, but unique individuals of His creation, and He cares about what happens to us. God in his infinite strength and wisdom knows each one of us by name and He cares about each individual. We are never alone and never forsaken by our loving Heavenly Father.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Though medical science was far less advanced in Jesus’ day than it is in ours, there were doctors then who did their best to treat patients. But often the problems were beyond their ability to cure. This was the case with an anonymous woman who had tried everything without being helped. Yet when she heard of the miracles Jesus was performing, a faith grew in her heart. She believed that if she could reach Jesus and touch His clothing, she would be healed.When difficulty comes into our lives, how often do we murmur and complain rather than trusting that God knows what He is doing. Even trouble and sickness can be used to draw us closer to God. Our response to trouble reveals where our faith rests. When we turn to God first, pouring out our hearts to Him and seeking His help, we show a faith focus, and that is the life that God blesses.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Dr. W.A. Criswell told of a visit he paid to a missionary who worked with the lepers of Africa. For days they drove from settlement to settlement, and in each one the missionary would provide medical care and then Dr. Criswell would preach.Criswell said, ‘They had built a little church out of mud. ... I did my best through an interpreter to preach to them about our blessed Jesus. After the preaching was done, the lepers stood up in the congregation and sang this song: ‘the great physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus. He speaks the drooping heart to cheer, O list’ to the voice of Jesus.’The primary purpose of Jesus’ life and ministry was to be the Savior of the world. But His great love and compassion for the needs of people led Him to often meet their physical needs as well. For every pain of life — physical, emotional, and spiritual — we have a Saviour who can meet the need.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Dr. A.J. Gordon told of a visitor from England who traveled to see Niagara Falls with a pastor friend from America. When they arrived to view the mighty waterfall, the visitor said, “This must be the greatest unused power in the world!” The pastor replied, “No. The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God!”God has all power and all authority, and He has given His Holy Spirit to all who trust Him. Every Christian has within them all the power needed to overcome temptation, to witness effectively, and to fulfill the commands of God. The great tragedy is that while we have the power of God available to us, we often neglect it or resist the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He desires to work mightily in and through us if we will simply yield to Him.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.At the end of Animal Farm, George Orwell’s classic parable about Communism, there is a scene in which the pigs, who have taken over running the farm after the humans were chased away, have a meeting with surrounding farmers. The other animals, watching from outside the farmhouse, make a shocking discovery:“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”Orwell’s point was that the distinctions between the leaders of the revolution and those they had replaced had been blurred away.We are not supposed to be like the world. There are no similarities between God and Satan, and the difference between their children should be plainly visible. Keeping your life separated from the world preserves your testimony and effectiveness for God’s Work.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.In Rome, one can visit the Scala Sancta, the twenty-eight marble steps that supposedly once led into Pilate’s judgment hall in Jerusalem. These are the steps which Jesus used as He was taken to His trial before the Roman governor. According to tradition, they were moved to Rome in the early 300’s and since that time, millions of people have climbed those steps on their knees as an act of penance. In 1511, it is said that Martin Luther was performing that ritual hoping to gain God’s favor when the words of Romans 1:17 sprung into his mind: “For therein is the rightesouness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” It was then he realized that salvation does not come through a church, but through faith in Christ’s sacrifices for our sins.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.The story is told that as the evangelist D.L. Moody was crossing Lake Michigan to return home after a preaching trip, when a great storm came up. The winds and waves were so strong that the passengers began fearing for their lives. While some gathered in an urgent prayer meeting, Moody remained sitting calmly. When someone asked him why he wasn’t joining in their prayers, Moody replied, “I have one sister in Chicago and one in Heaven and I don’t care which I see tonight.”Christians are not promised a life without troubles or hardships. We are going to face storms as we journey through life. Companies go under, jobs vanish, children get sick, friends betray us. All of these things are part of living in a fallen world, and Christians are not exempt from these trials.The difference for Christians is that we have someone to help us. We have a loving Saviour to whom we can turn for help.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.A number of years ago a preacher went to the Champness Hall in Yorkshire, England, to hear Sir John Barbirolli lead the symphony. A friend sitting nearby looked out at the vast crowd in the great hall and asked the preacher, “When will we see the Champness Hall filled to capacity for a Christian service?” The pastor pointed to the members of the orchestra playing on the stage and said, “When we see eighty men willing to give absolute obedience to the will of Christ as these give to Barbirolli.”One of the most effective temptations Satan uses against Christians who want to do what is right is to try to get them to go their own way rather than obeying God. The Lord is not looking for people to go their own way, but to go His way. Unless we are yielded to the commands of God, we cannot truly say that we are following Jesus.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.Though D.L. Moody was a greatly used evangelist, he had little formal education, and it frequently showed in his preaching. It is said that after he finished a sermon in London, a critic came and said, “You made several grammatical errors in your sermon today.” Moody admitted with regret that his language was often faulty. Then looking the man in the eye he said, “I am using all the grammar I know for God. What are you doing with the grammar you know?”The Lord has given every one of us different talents and spiritual gifts for use in His work. His plan is that as each of us use those gifts together, the church will be built and strengthened. Without each one doing what he can do for the work, it will suffer and be hindered. So, what are you doing with the gifts the Lord has given you?

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.One of the most important archaeological discoveries in history was made in 1799 when a soldier in Napoleon’s army found the Rosetta stone. Dating to some two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Rosetta Stone unlocked secrets of the past, because it contained the same decree written in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Greek. By translating the known language, historians were able to develop an understanding of the Egyptian language.The Bible is not a normal book. While it was penned by men, it was the Spirit of God that moved them to write the Word of God. When we trust in Christ, we are given God’s Spirit to help us discern the truths of God’s Word. When we diligently study God’s Word, we can know and understand what God wants from us.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.One of the men credited with starting the “Fitness craze” in America was Jim Fixx. His book, “The complete Book of Running” spent eleven weeks as the number one book in America, and Fixx became a frequent media presence. He was hailed as an authority on the health benefits of exercise. But in 1984, Jim Fixx died of a massive heart attack after finishing a workout run. He was just fifty-two years old.The condition of the physical heart is central to our health, but the condition of our spiritual heart is even more important, for it is central to our spiritual health. We may be able to conceal what is on the inside for a time, but when the harvest comes, the nature of our hearts will be revealed. By keeping our heart soft and tender to the things of God, we prepare our life for fruitful work for Him.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.At a time when Dallas Theological Seminary was in great financial difficulty, Dr. H.A. Ironside convened a group of leaders and prayed, “Lord, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please help us in this time of need.” That very day a check arrived in the mail for the $10,000 they needed. The note enclosed informed them that a rancher had sold some cattle and wanted to give part of the money to the Lord’s work!Though the Lord certainly does not need our help or resources, His plan is for His work to be funded by His people. Every Christian needs to be involved in supporting and helping God’s Work in the world. These gifts are not giving God something that He lacks, but rather investments that provide for the work to continue, and that produce fruit in our own lives.