ODJ: i am who?
Then He [Jesus] asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16). READ: Luke 20:41-21:44 Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey the week before His crucifixion. On that day, which we now call Palm Sunday, the crowd proclaimed Him to [...]
ODB: remember the sacrifice
May 31, 2010
READ: 1 Cor. 11:23-34
Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. —1 Corinthians 11:24
Every Memorial Day, we remem- ber those who have died in the service of their country. In the United States, a place where such remembrances carry a deep and emotional significance is Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, DC. Arlington is a serious place where, due to the passing of aging war veterans and the ongoing conflicts around the world, there are currently about 25 military funerals every day.
This is particularly difficult for The Old Guard—members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment who serve at Arlington. It is their task to bear the bodies of the fallen and honor their sacrifice. The members of The Old Guard never forget the price of liberty—for they are reminded of it every day.
Believers in Christ have been given the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of what our freedom from sin cost the Lord Jesus Christ. As we partake of the bread and the cup, we fulfill His command to “do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24). But in the sober celebration of the sacrifice of Christ there is joy. For we need not leave our remembrances at the Lord’s Table. Living our lives for the Savior can show the world that we will never forget the sacrifice He has made for us. —Bill Crowder
Remembering Christ’s death for us should cause us to live for Him.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...ODJ: oscar ewolo’s transformation
Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person (2 Cor. 5:17).
READ: John 3:1-21
Born in the Congo and raised in France, Oscar Ewolo dreamed of playing in the World Cup. Today, as captain of Congo’s football team, he has a chance of realizing that dream. But when Oscar was 14, his father died, and his life had begun to disintegrate. “It was as if my whole family was dying on the inside,” Oscar said.
Then someone told his mother about Jesus, and she opened her heart to the Savior. Oscar recalls the transformation. “I saw it and was astonished. I saw a woman who had lost her joy start to find a different joy.” Eventually Oscar started reading the Bible for himself. He prayed this simple prayer: “Yes, Jesus, I want to follow you. I want to walk with You. Give me the strength to live a Christian life.” And Oscar too began to change.
The young soccer star’s transformation is a living example of what Jesus told Nicodemus, the religious leader who came to see God’s Son: “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus didn’t understand. So Jesus explained, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life” (v.6).
Jesus further explained that He was the One who had come down from heaven to win back His creation—a creation that had rejected Him. “God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (v.19). It doesn’t have to be that way. “Everyone who believes in Him [Jesus] will have eternal life” (v.15). And “those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants” (v.21).
The label Christian is understood by many in solely a cultural context. But to be a follower of Christ means a total transformation. —Tim Gustafson
Can you say your life is truly transformed? Are you missing the joy possessed by Oscar and his mother? What simple prayer—imitating Oscar’s—will you offer to God?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: what does it take?
May 30, 2010
READ: Genesis 2:1-7
Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest. —Exodus 23:12
Today’s technology allows some people to work 24/7. We can bring our work home or take it on vacation. Work is ever-present with us—except when the electricity goes off.
An ice storm last winter covered several states in a thick glasslike glaze. Trees and branches fell, blocking roads and keeping people home. Power lines fell, leaving people in cold darkness, unable to accomplish anything that required electricity.
Whenever something like this interrupts my life, I realize how important my own work is to me. Without it, I feel unimportant, unproductive, and useless. But God doesn’t want work to be that important to us, and we shouldn’t need a power outage to get us to stop. In the Old Testament, God had a plan for getting His people to stop and pay attention to Him. It was called Sabbath. On the seventh day of the week, they were to stop their work (Ex. 23:12).
Although New Testament believers aren’t required to keep this law, rest is still important. Practicing a day of rest can keep us from the faulty belief that our work is more important than God’s.
What does it take to make you stop and pay attention to God? —Julie Ackerman Link
If we do not come apart and rest awhile, we may just plain come apart. —Havner
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: no limits
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (v.27).
READ: Luke 10:25-37
The other day I spotted a man in a wheelchair rocking back and forth on a street corner. One of his front wheels was stuck in a crack on the curb, and he was struggling to get loose. Moments later, a kind man came along and gave him a push to set him free.
Many of us would refer to the man who offered assistance as a “Good Samaritan.” We borrow the label from a well-known story Jesus told (Luke 10:30-35).
The story centers around a man who was robbed and left for dead on a remote road to Jericho (v.30). His attackers left him badly beaten and in need of major assistance. Amazingly, two separate Jewish travelers completely ignored the man’s plight. Then a Samaritan man came along and went out of his way to help (vv.33-34).
The point of Jesus’ story is obvious: Be a neighbor to anyone who is in need, even those who are unlike you. It’s a point He stressed in response to questions from a Jewish lawyer who was out to minimize and limit God’s call to love one’s neighbor: “The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ ” (v.29). But when the hero of the story turned out to be a Samaritan, long considered to be a lowlife by the Jewish establishment, it became painfully clear to him that no such limits exist for those who truly love God.
We live in a world where prejudices run deep. But there’s no place for a follower of God to be a choosy kind of neighbor. The story of the Good Samaritan reminds us that a sincere lover of God is merciful and compassionate to all, not just certain people. As Jesus said, “Now go and do the same” (v.37). —Jeff Olson
What attacks from your unseen enemies have you been experiencing? What do you need to do to be better prepared for spiritual warfare?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: never say “never”
May 29, 2010
READ: Acts 9:1-22
Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. —Acts 9:20
While a friend and I walked along the path of the former Berlin Wall, he told me, “This is one of those ‘never say never’ places in my life.” He explained that during the years when the Wall divided the city, he had made a dozen trips through Checkpoint Charlie to encourage members of the church living under continuing surveillance and opposition in East Germany. More than once, he had been detained, questioned, and harassed by the border guards.
In 1988, he took his teenage children to West Berlin and told them, “Take a good look at this wall, because someday when you bring your children here, this wall will still be standing.” A year later it was gone.
When Saul of Tarsus began to attack the followers of Jesus, no one could have imagined that he would ever become a disciple of Christ. “Never. Not a chance.” Yet Acts 9:1-9 records the story of Saul’s blinding encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Within a few days of that life-changing event, Saul was preaching in the synagogues of Damascus that Jesus was the Son of God, to the astonishment of all who heard him (vv.20-21).
When it comes to God’s work in the most difficult people we know, we should never say “never.” —David McCasland
Never say never when it comes to what God can do.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...The Father’s Love
By Isaac Tan, 20, Singapore All the world is distracting and youth are but the most distracted people. Constantly plagued with material pursuits and mindless partying, it really questions the values to which most young people live by. However, even with the adverse consequences evidently flashed out in all these things, they choose to revel [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: fighting the good fight
Fight the good fight for the true faith (v.12)
READ: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Jacqueline’s eyes flash fury and fire. She’s the embodiment of the hot-tempered, angry, fight starter described in Proverbs 15:18, 29:22. It’s not surprising then that rather than pleading with her landlord for more time to pay her delinquent rent, she beat him up and gave him two broken ribs.
The landlord was not the first person to suffer Jacqueline’s wrath. She has slugged both strangers and neighbors alike, and two years ago she hit her husband so hard he ran off—never to return.
A while back, however, despite her behavior, Jacqueline was the direct beneficiary of two of my friends’ generosity. She was so touched by their kindness—something she hasn’t extended or received much of in her lifetime—that she decided to give up physical combat. Jacqueline has now gone 5 months without throwing a punch.
While “right hooks” aren’t highly regarded in Scripture, we’re nonetheless called to engage in a lifetime of tenacious fighting against opposition and temptation that aims to hinder our walk with Christ.
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul explained that we must “fight the good fight” as we remain true to the faith (1 Timothy 6:12). In another letter, the apostle says we’re to approach spiritual warfare as an athlete would approach a competition, with discipline and with the goal of obtaining an “eternal prize” (1 Corinthians 9:25).
Finally, Paul wrote, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Unlike Jacqueline, we realize that the ultimate enemies we face are not human. Let’s choose today to prayerfully, carefully battle against our unseen enemies as we lift up the truths of Jesus. —Roxanne Robbins
What attacks from your unseen enemies have you been experiencing? What do you need to do to be better prepared for spiritual warfare?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: our times, His hand
May 28, 2010
READ: Psalm 31:1-16
“You are my God.” My times are in Your hand. —Psalm 31:14-15
In a message to the 2002 graduates of Cedarville University, Dr. Paul Dixon encouraged them with these words: “Your times are in God’s hands.” Our family listened and thought it was appropriate for the graduates, which included our daughter Julie.
We had no idea that in 5 days our 17-year-old Melissa would graduate to heaven through a car accident—and we would be left to recall with new meaning that thought from Psalm 31:15.
Over the years, we have become painfully aware that in God’s mysterious ways, He has planned for some Christians a life that is short. I think of one young Christian girl, the kind with a smile for everyone, who had a sore finger—and a week later was dead from a raging infection. Or the young believer who was killed while playing softball when a ball hit her in the neck. Or the teen boy who loved Jesus and fishing—and died when a car hit him as he rode his bike home from the fishing hole. Melissa, Heather, Maggie, and Thomas. In their short lives, they created a legacy of faith in Jesus and love for others. They were ready when His time for them had come.
“I trust in You,” the psalmist said, recognizing that his life was in God’s hands alone (vv.14-15). Are you trusting God for whatever comes next on your calendar? —Dave Branon
Our times are in God’s hands; our souls are in His keeping.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(3 votes, average: 2.33 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: one, two, three . . .
May 27, 2010
The kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it (vv.16-17).
READ: Luke 18:15-30
When my son was a toddler, I played a game with him that made a big splash—literally. As I stood in the water, just a few feet from the edge of the pool, I would reach out my arms and encourage him to leap from the safe terra firma to me. I would count, “One . . two . . . THREE!” and with a giggle he would launch himself into my arms. To add some excitement, I would let his feet splash in the water just a bit.
Jesus reached His arms out to the “little children.” Though His disciples felt that the children were a “bother,” the Savior highly valued them and their faith (Luke 18:16-17). Unlike the pious and proud (v.9), they possessed a childlike faith marked by openness and trust. As Jesus lovingly embraced some kids, He said, “Anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (v.17).
In contrast, Luke then records Jesus’ interaction with a rich religious leader. The man testified that he had kept God’s “commandments since I was young” (v.21). Like the apostle Paul prior to his conversion, this man had been diligent in keeping the letter of the law (Philippians 3:6). But Jesus zeroed in on the rich leader’s heart and told him to sell all his possessions and “follow Me” (Luke 18:22).
Does Christ ask every person to jettison all they own? No. This was simply a way of showing the man that he’d have to take the step of faith he desperately needed. The goal was for him to have a trusting, humble,
childlike faith in the Savior.
Today, Jesus calls to you with arms outstretched. Humbly receive Him with childlike trust. Ready? One . . . two . . . three! —Tom Felten
Why does Jesus celebrate childlike faith? What will it take for you to trust in Him this way?
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