ODJ: the five solas
You must remain faithful to the things you have been taught (v.14). READ: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 On October 31, the US, UK, and many European countries celebrate Halloween. Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic Samhain festival, where it is believed that on this day, the boundary between the living and the dead [...]
ODB: hallowing halloween
October 31, 2009
READ: 2 Timothy 2:19-26
He will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. —2 Timothy 2:21
The word hallow isn’t used much anymore, and when it is, the uses have a broad range of meaning. Christians use the word when we say the Lord’s prayer, as in “Hallowed be Thy name.” Often the word is associated with the last day of October, which we in the US refer to as Halloween, a shortened form of All Hallows’ Eve.
In Scripture, the word hallow is a synonym for the word sanctify. When we hallow or sanctify something, we set it apart as being holy.
The name of God is not the only thing that we are to hallow. We too are to be hallowed. Paul urged Timothy to be a vessel sanctified and useful for God by pursuing “righteousness, faith, love, [and] peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” and by avoiding “foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” (2 Tim. 2:21-23).
On this last day of October, children in the US will be carrying bags filled with sweets. Thinking of them can remind us to ask: “What is filling the vessel of my life? Is it a bitter attitude that leads to foolish disputes and strife, or is it a sweet spirit that leads to righteousness, faith, love, and peace?”
We can hallow today, and every day, by setting ourselves apart for God to be used by Him. — Julie Ackerman Link
A Christian’s greatest joy is to be used by God.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Press On!
By Tracy Phua, Singapore “So how has your week been?” My cell group leader asked me. I looked up, shrugged my shoulders, and gave my usual orchestrated response, “Super busy.” I must admit, I’ve been guilty of giving such patronizing response. But in my defence, I HAVE been really busy, and not to mention, stressed [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: hectic sluggard
A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace (v.5).
READ: Proverbs 10:1-9
Lazy? Not me. I’m busy. Up early, up late. My schedule is filled from beginning to end. I love what I do and I love getting stuff done. I attack a daily to-do list with the same intensity I play basketball.”
I couldn’t identify more with these words written by Christian blogger C. J. Mahaney. It’s great to keep busy and accomplish stuff, isn’t it?
If we grasp what true diligence is all about as presented in Proverbs, however, we may discover that we are simply being hectic sluggards. Here’s why. Proverbs 10:5 describes the diligent person as busy and wise. In other words, a diligent person uses both his brawn and brain. He analyzes his situation and makes wise decisions in his labor. He knows how to act and speak in different situations. He doesn’t back down from challenges, but seeks to navigate around or through them with God’s help. He knows that wisdom doesn’t imply superior IQ. It’s found in a healthy fear of the Lord (9:10).
A diligent person also works in anticipation of the harvest. She has a clear goal to accomplish and she applies appropriate action at the right time by harvesting in summer.
She recognizes that busyness does not make us immune from laziness. People can be busy and still not accomplish anything of true value. They can be busy, but with doing the wrong things and at the wrong time. And the things that they should be doing are left undone.
Diligence flows from analysis, anticipation, appropriate action, and accomplishment—all prompted by the Holy Spirit’s active work within us. When considering our schedules, let’s pursue priorities and projects that are derived from God’s wise plans. To be diligent for God does not mean simply being busy.
—Poh Fang Chia
What is keeping you busy? How should you reorder your schedule this week to glorify God even more?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: be a stander
October 30, 2009
READ: 2 Timothy 4:9-18
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. —Proverbs 17:17
Western novelist Stephen Bly says that in the days of America’s Old West there were two types of friends (and horses): runners and standers. At the first sign of trouble, the runner would bolt—abandoning you to whatever peril you were facing. But a stander would stick with you no matter the circumstances. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know which kind of friend you had until trouble came. And then it was too late—unless your friend was a stander.
Rather than being concerned with what kind of friends we have, however, we ought to consider what kind of friends we are. In the final days of Paul’s ministry, as he awaited death, some who had ministered with him turned into runners and abandoned him to face execution alone. In his last letter, he listed some (like Demas) who had run off, then simply stated, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Tim. 4:11). Luke was a stander. While undoubtedly disappointed by those who had deserted him, Paul must have been deeply comforted to know he was not alone.
Proverbs tells us that “a friend loves at all times” (17:17). During times of adversity, we need friends we can rely on. When the people we know face trouble, what kind of friend will we be—a runner or a stander? — Bill Crowder
A true friend stands with us in times of trial.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: God’s grand pursuit
What are mere mortals that You should think about them? (v.4).
READ: Psalm 8:3-8
The news story was the kind of breathtaking romance you would expect to see on the big screen. Patrick Moberg spotted a stunningly beautiful woman across the crowded Manhattan subway station, but he wasn’t able to reach her. In desperation, Moberg created a Web site (www.nygirlofmydreams.com) and began a search across New York City, looking for the girl whom he had glimpsed only once and yet could not forget. Remarkably, within 48 hours and in a city of 8 million people, Moberg found her: Camille Hayton, a young woman from Melbourne, Australia.
Whenever we hear a tale of outrageous passion, we can’t help but listen, watch, marvel. We’re drawn to the intense emotion, and we’re curious to know what motivates it.
In Psalm 8, the writer is in awe of the overwhelming way God pursued His creation—His people—with zealous love. David took in the exquisite examples of God’s power and reach (“the night sky and . . . the work of [His] fingers—the moon and the stars [God] set in place”) and sat in dumbfounded amazement over how such a powerful God could feel such intimate care for us (vv.3-4): “[Who] are . . . human beings that You should care for [us]?”
When we take an honest look at our brokenness, comparing our ways with the tenacity of God’s extravagant love, we begin to ask: Why would God love us so completely when we are most often so unlovely? Knowing who He is—and who we are—why would God pursue us?
The answer to these questions weaves through every page of the Bible. In a word, it’s love. God loved. And because God loves, God came to us and for us. —Winn Collier
Where do you most need God to pursue you? How does God’s pursuit of you reveal how you should love others?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...You are twice mine
Even if you feel far from God today, you are highly valued by Him. He’s searching for you. — David C. McCasland Read more >
(15 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: lost and found
October 29, 2009
READ: Luke 15:4-24
This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. —Luke 15:24
A Wall Street Journal article by Jennifer Saranow chronicled the extraordinary efforts of middle-aged American men who are trying to find the favorite car they once owned and loved, but lost. They are searching on-line car ads, phoning junkyards, and even hiring specialists who charge $400 an hour to help them search for an automobile that once symbolized their youth. These men want the actual car they owned, not one just like it.
Some would call their efforts frivolous—a waste of time and money. But the value of a car, like many things, is in the eye of the beholder.
In Luke 15, people who were despised by their society came to hear Jesus. But some religious leaders complained, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them” (v.2). To affirm how valuable these “sinners” are to God, Jesus told three memorable stories about a lost sheep (vv.4-7), a lost coin (vv.8-10), and a lost son (vv.11-32). Each parable records the anguish of losing, the effort of searching, and the joy of finding something of great worth. In every story, we see a picture of God, the loving Father, who rejoices over every lost soul who is found.
Even if you feel far from God today, you are highly valued by Him. He’s searching for you. — David C. McCasland
Those who have been found should seek the lost.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: something to last
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).
READ: Numbers 11:1-15
For years, Greg Mann worked hard to share the good news of Jesus with people in the remote rainforest region of Guyana. He had overseen the building of several churches in areas accessible only by canoe. But Greg began to sense that his churches were stagnant.
Then he started encountering health problems that seriously curtailed his ability to work. So he prayed. And the churches grew. That’s when Greg realized an important aspect of serving the Lord. It wasn’t his work; it was God’s. Greg’s dedication to serving God was admirable, but the Guyanese didn’t need Greg. They needed Jesus. God would continue His work—with or without Greg Mann.
As we look at the heroes of the Bible, we see some astoundingly human flaws in them. Moses actually asked God, “What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people?” as if God were abandoning both him and the nation (Numbers 11:11). Sulking, he told God, “Just go ahead and kill me” (v.15). God, however, had much more for Moses to do. The Bible tells us that Moses had been sent by God to be a ruler and a deliverer for Israel (Acts 7:35). But it also reveals that Israel’s exodus from Egypt wasn’t on Moses’ shoulders—it was on God’s.
No one accomplishes anything of value without Him. The apostle Paul understood this when he took to task the church at Corinth for putting faith in human leaders. He humbly rightsized the roles of God’s servants, including his own, when he said, “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7).
It’s vital for us to assume the roles God has for us. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that Jesus must be the foundation for anything we do (v.11).
—Tim Gustafson
What mistake did Moses make when he cried out to God in Numbers 11? What motivates you to work?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: almost-perfect disguise
October 28, 2009
READ: Revelation 12:7-12
The accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. —Revelation 12:10
Radovan Karadzic, once the leader of the Bosnian Serbs and accused of genocide, had been one of the most wanted men in the world. By growing a long, white beard, carrying false papers, and practicing alternative medicine, he fooled everyone—for a while. After 13 years in hiding, he was finally arrested.
The Bible tells us that Satan is also in the business of fooling people with disguises. Right from the beginning of human history, he pretended to be an enlightened advisor, telling Eve that God was not honest with her (Gen. 3:4). He “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14 NIV), but the Lord Jesus Christ has unmasked him as “a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
People often err at two extremes in their view of Satan. Some dismiss him while others attribute more power to him than he deserves. Let us not be deceived. Satan is powerful as the “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4). But Christians need not cower before him in fear, because “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The day is coming when Satan will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).
Until that day, let’s not be deceived but rather live godly lives that reflect the image of Christ, for He is “a man of truth; there is nothing false about Him” (John 7:18 NIV). — C. P. Hia
Satan offers nothing but tricks and deceit.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...
