God is the Solution
By Eugene Seah, Singapore In the book Somebody’s Child by John Robinson, it highlights the need for God’s Word to be shared to the youth in some of Manchester’s tough estates. Coming from Asia, I have always had the impression that Christianity in the western world would be the way of life. However, this book [...]
ODJ: idols in us
Why is this happening? . . . Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital! (v.5).
READ: Micah 1:1-7
While attending a conference in Nashville, my husband and I decided to use some free time to visit the city’s replica of the Parthenon—the temple of the Greek goddess Athena. While the artwork inspired awe, we couldn’t shake the hollow and cold feeling that settled on us when we entered. Towering over 40 feet high, the gilded statue of Athena was the all-consuming focal point of the main room. My heart became heavy as I thought of the multitudes who had once knelt before the real statue.
The temptation of idolatry exists within each of us. We struggle with the desire to create a god who serves us versus a calling to be a people who serve God. In the days of the golden calf, Israel’s idolatry was not simply an outright rejection of Yahweh. Rather, they had wrongly tried to make an image of God Himself (Exodus 32:4-6).
Generations later, King Jeroboam made the fateful decision to direct where the people would worship. His pride led the people into a time of spiritual captivity. During King Manasseh’s reign, Judah worshiped in the right city, but they allowed the surrounding culture to shape what they were worshiping. Manasseh actually placed pagan altars and an idol in God’s holy temple (2 Chronicles 33:7-9). Talk about the wrong focus!
Consider the following facts about God in order to avoid worshiping a god of your own making:
• He alone is worthy of our worship (Habakkuk 2:18-20).
• We do not define Him; He defines us (Romans 1:21-23).
• He is completely sovereign; any lesser view is manmade (Isaiah 45:9).
Call out to God today and ask Him to reveal the idols in your heart. A pure heart will lead to your pure worship of Him. —Regina Franklin
How have you tried to define God in wrongful ways? What areas of your life have you not submitted to His control?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
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Loading ...ODB: tell your story
August 24, 2009
READ: Mark 5:1-20
Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you. —Mark 5:19
An organizational consultant in New York says that his graduate students typically recall only 5 percent of the main ideas in a presentation of graphs and charts, while they generally remember half of the stories told in the same presentation. There is a growing consensus among communication experts about the power of the personal touch in relating an experience. While facts and figures often put listeners to sleep, an illustration from real life can motivate them to action. Author Annette Simmons says, “The missing ingredient in most failed communication is humanity.”
Mark 5:1-20 gives the dramatic account of Jesus setting a violent, self-destructive man free from the powerful demons that possessed him. When the restored man begged to stay with Jesus as He traveled, the Lord told him, “?‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’ And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled” (vv.19-20).
Knowledge and eloquence are often overrated in the process of communicating the good news of Jesus Christ. Never underestimate the power of what God has done for you, and don’t be afraid to tell your story to others. — David C. McCasland
Sharing the gospel is one person telling another good news.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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