till he became strong
July 19, 2009 READ: 2 Chronicles 26:3-15 His fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong. —2 Chronicles 26:15 In George MacDonald’s fairy tale Lilith, giants live among normal people. These giants must conduct their daily affairs very carefully. When they sleep, their snoring is disruptive. When they turn [...]
ODJ: love & hell
They will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life (v.46).
READ: Matthew 25:41-46
On an American ship, navy personnel crowded around their chaplain and asked him, “Do you believe in hell?” He replied, “I do not.” The crew members quietly took in his response and fired this shot across the bow: “Well then, will you please resign? If there’s no hell, we don’t need you . . . and if there’s a hell, we don’t want you to lead us astray!”
There are many believers in Jesus who are ashamed of the biblical doctrine of hell—viewing it as a blemish to be covered up by the cosmetic of divine love. This is way wrong, for Jesus taught more about hell than any other person in the Bible.
So what did Jesus have to say about hell? Jesus said that hell is a place of eternal, conscious punishment and separation from God (Matthew 8:12, 25:46; Mark 9:43). He taught that hell is a place of suffering and darkness, emphasizing isolation from God and others. Hell is a place that was prepared for Satan and his angels (demons) and for human beings who also reject God (Matthew 25:41). When Satan and his crew fell from heaven, God prepared a place of punishment for them. If a person turns away from what God has provided in Jesus, he or she is actively rebelling against God’s perfect design. Finally, Jesus said that hell is for those who reject His Father and Himself (John 3:18; 1 John 5:11-12).
We need to grasp the reality that everyone—as eternal beings—will spend eternity in one of two places. Decision on this side of life will eternally influence the other. Each of us who follows Jesus plays a vital role in communicating the eternal life that He provides to all who believe in Him.
Share the truth of hell with the people you know. It’s the loving thing to do. —Marvin Williams
Who in my sphere of influence needs to hear about the wrath and grace of God? What role am I playing in helping them believe?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
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Loading ...a donkey in lion’s clothing
July 18, 2009
READ: Matthew 7:15-23
Beware of false prophets . . . in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. —Matthew 7:15
In the final book of C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle, a devious ape named Shift finds an old lion’s skin and persuades a simpleminded donkey to put it on. Shift then claims that the disguised donkey is Aslan (the Lion who is the rightful king of Narnia) and forms an alliance with Narnia’s enemies. Together they set out to control and enslave the subjects of Narnia. Young King Tirian, however, can’t believe that Aslan would actually be involved with such brutal practices. So, with the help of the real Aslan, he defeats Shift and his counterfeit lion.
The Bible tells us that the devil is in the business of imitating God. His goal is “to be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:12-15). Through deception, Satan tries to replace Christ with a substitute. Jesus Himself warned us of false prophets and false christs: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5).
How can we tell the real Christ from the counterfeit? The only authentic Christ is the one described in Scripture. Anyone or anything that portrays a different Jesus than the One presented in the Bible is promoting “a donkey in lion’s clothing.” — Dennis Fisher
God’s Word gives wisdom to discern what is false.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Book Review: Out of the Ordinary
Review by Cora Cheung, 14 yr old, Hong Kong Out of the Ordinary—God’s Hand at Work in Everyday Lives By David Roper I liked this book a lot, but reading all of it in one day is quite an overload. There is a lot of information packed into those 170 pages. I enjoyed his writing [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...life’s cliffsnotes
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people (v.20).
READ: Genesis 50:14-22
When I taught high school English, my students’ use of CliffsNotes was an ever-present reality. I encouraged them to use these study guides along with reading the novel or play. While it’s true that the literary interpretations found in the guides could help them understand difficult passages, nothing could replace a firsthand reading of the complete works. To read the CliffsNotes in lieu of reading a novel would be like reading a recipe for apple pie instead of tasting the real thing. Shortcuts leave us shortchanged.
The same is true in our spiritual walk. Trials are our classrooms for character development. When pressed by the Potter’s hand, however, we’re tempted to claim that life is unfair or to look for a way out (Jeremiah 18:6).
Well-acquainted with the pain of others’ choices, Joseph knew hard times. The most important lessons he learned, though, came from what he believed about God’s heart (Genesis 50:20). The question is not whether difficult times will come but what our response will be when they do.
Jesus said that rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). So the challenge is to seek the goodness of His hand in the midst of whatever trials we encounter. Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 emphasis added). In order for things to work together for our good . . .
• we must love God, demonstrating it by our obedience (John 14:23).
• we must want to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives (Romans 8:28)—to become like His Son (v.29) for His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
As we do these things, like Joseph, we will know God’s goodness even during hard times. —Regina Franklin
How has pursuing a CliffsNotes version of a trial shortchanged your character development? How can you stay focused on what God is doing when you face a challenge in life?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...when the ground shakes
July 17, 2009
READ: Psalm 18:1-6
In my distress, I called upon the Lord. —Psalm 18:6
Several days after a devastating earthquake in the San Francisco area, a young boy was seen rocking and swaying on the school playground. His principal asked him if he was okay, and the boy nodded yes and said, “I am moving like the earth, so if there’s another earthquake I won’t feel it.” He wanted to prepare himself for another shaking of the ground.
Sometimes after a trauma, we brace ourselves for what might be coming next. If we’ve had a phone call that brought bad news, every time the phone rings we feel panicky and wonder, What has happened now?
The “ground was shaking” for the psalmist David after King Saul tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:10). He ran and hid. He thought death was next and told his friend Jonathan, “There is but a step between me and death” (20:3). He wrote, “The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid” (Ps. 18:4).
David cried to the Lord in his distress (v.6) and found that He was a stabilizer, One he could trust would always be with him. He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; . . . my stronghold” (v.2). The Lord will be that for us also when the ground shakes under us. — Anne Cetas
To survive the storms of life, be anchored to the Rock of Ages.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...legacy
We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord (Psalm 78:4).
READ: Deuteronomy 4:1-9
Most parents want a better life for their children. Often, those who are financially able will leave their children a sizable inheritance—hoping that an extra cushion of cash will help them handle the needs, dangers, and uncertainties of life. This is a noble act, for Proverbs 13:22 declares, “Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren.”
But it’s not the best we can do. God commands us to leave a legacy that money can’t buy. When He delivered the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt, He warned them to “be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
The Israelites were to hand down their covenant with God to their children by speaking about Him often: “Talk about [God’s commands] when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). If they were successful in leading their children to love God, then their descendants would “flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors” (11:21). If they failed and their children turned to idols, then they would “quickly disappear from the land” and “be utterly destroyed” (4:26).
So leaving a spiritual legacy has the potential to provide material helps for the next generation. The meek really will inherit the earth. While in the short run there are no guarantees, those who have been raised to love God and others are more apt to handle with care—and prayer—any financial windfall that comes their way. Most important, “their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need.” He will enable them to “experience true life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). —Mike Wittmer
Write down the spiritual riches, or values, that you inherited from your parents. How are you passing these values on to the next generation?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...behind the building
July 16, 2009
READ: 1 Peter 4:8-11
Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. —1 Corinthians 15:58
Where we were working was hot, dirty, and it smelled bad. We had traveled thousands of miles to do some work projects, and on this day we were painting the back of a classroom building at a school for the deaf. The only people who would ever see this part of the building would be the guy who cut the grass and any unfortunate person who would have to work on the septic pit.
Yet, as the young adults diligently painted away, one of the girls, Melissa, put it in perspective by saying, “Nobody will ever come back here to see this, but God will see it. So let’s make it look nice.” And so we did.
Sometimes we sit at our desk and think no one sees our work. Or we stand at a line assembling item after endless item. Perhaps we take care of crying babies in the church nursery. Or we live the best Christian life we can—without anyone noticing.
Often our work is “behind the building.” But if that is what God has called us to do, we need to work with all our heart. As part of our calling to love others deeply (1 Peter 4:8), offer hospitality (v.9), and use our gifts to serve others (v.10), our task is to work with God’s strength to bring praise and glory to God, not ourselves. The important thing is that God likes what He sees. — Dave Branon
No service for Christ goes unnoticed by Him.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)Your Created Purpose
By Chaz Oswald, Michigan Baseball is a popular pastime in America. In this sport, a baseball bat (a long, thin, fairly light but tough object) is designed for the specific purpose of hitting a baseball. The greatest potential for a baseball bat is realized when it is used to hit a homerun—when all players can [...]
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
