ODJ: the effects
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done (v.28). READ: Romans 1:18-32 This was a tough week. Someone I know was accused of a crime so brutal I can’t describe it. Waves of disbelief, disgust, and sadness have swept [...]
ODB: A Matter of Perspective
March 15, 2011
READ: Revelation 3:14-22
[You] do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. —Revelation 3:17
One of my favorite stories is about the Texas rancher who was doing agricultural consulting for a farmer in Germany. He asked the German farmer about the size of his property, to which he replied, “About a mile square.” When the German asked the Texan about the size of his ranch, the rancher explained that if he got in his pick-up truck at dawn and drove until sunset he would still be on his ranch. Not to be outdone, the farmer replied, “I used to have an old truck like that!”
All joking aside, it’s important to have the right perspective. Unfortunately, the Christians in Laodicea had the wrong perspective about wealth (Rev. 3:14-22). By all appearances, they were rich. They had plenty of earthly goods and thought they needed nothing—not even Jesus. But Jesus had a different perspective. In spite of their material prosperity, He saw that they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (v.17). So He invited them to become truly rich by seeking what only He could provide: purity, character, righteousness, and wisdom.
Let’s not make the Laodicean mistake. Instead, let’s keep our perspective right about what it means to be rich. True wealth is not measured by what you have but by who you are in Christ.
— Joe Stowell
The poorest person is he whose only wealth is money.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Loading ...ODJ: aim of instruction
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith (v.5).
READ: 1 Timothy 1:1-11
Every so often, it’s good to ask yourself: “Why do I do what I do?” It’s so easy to get caught up in simply getting things done, while forgetting the ultimate purpose for our tasks.
In 1 Timothy 1:4-7, Paul presents three failures of false teachers that—if we’re not careful—can become our failures too: (1) Their teachings promote meaningless speculations that “don’t help people live a life of faith in God” (v.4); (2) their motive is all about position and reputation, rather than to see that the truth is taught or that lives are changed (v.7); (3) they appear to be impressive teachers, but they have no real understanding of the law or the gospel (v.7).
In contrast, the purpose of good teaching is “that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith” (v.5). When truth is being taught, preached, and believed, it will always result in love—love for God and love for one another. As we instruct others in God’s Word—whether in Sunday school, a small group, one-to-one, from the pulpit, or as parents—what’s the aim of our instruction? Is it so they will “be filled with love”?
Paul tells us that teaching the Bible to others can be an uphill task, for in the last days “people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). That’s why we have the great responsibility to teach the Word in a way that reveals God’s authority.
It’s not about our own thoughts or human wisdom but about accurately representing His Word. —Poh Fang Chia
What is the aim of your instruction in God’s Word—that your hearers may love God more, or love you more? Why is it vital that you teach the Bible to others?
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ODB: A Dream of Answers Forgotten
March 14, 2011
READ: Job 42:1-6
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. —Job 42:5
A friend quit two jobs to become a full-time caregiver when his adult son was seriously hurt in a car accident. That same year his wife of over 30 years contracted a terminal illness and died.
Since then, he says he has no answers when his son asks “why” this happened to them. But he told me of a reassuring dream he had along the way. He dreamed that he was in a place that was awash with sunlight. There were crowds of people around him, and a man was answering all of his “why” questions. Each answer made so much sense that he clearly understood why he was not to know the answers now. Then he was with his son in the dream. But when he tried to help him with his questions, he couldn’t remember the answers. But even that seemed okay. And then he woke up.
My friend’s experience reminds me of another friend of God who suffered with unanswered questions (Job 7:20-21). Only when God finally broke His silence and gave Job a vision of Himself in the wonder of creation did Job find something that was better than answers (42:1-6). Only then did Job find peace in knowing that our God has good and even wonderful reasons to trust Him.
— Mart De Haan
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: it’s only money
Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own (v.15).
READ: Luke 12:13-21
Grigori Perelman won the Millennium Prize from the Clay Mathematics Institute for solving a problem that had stumped mathematicians for a century. When told that the prize came with a $1 million award, Grigori, a reclusive genius who lives with his elderly mother in Russia, said that he would need to think about whether to accept the money.
Grigori may be eccentric, but he’s not crazy. As many lottery winners attest, sudden wealth can be devastating. Even the slow and steady accumulation of wealth can gradually tighten a noose around our lives. For the more we have, the more time and money it takes to care for it. Who is less burdened by possessions—a person who lives in an apartment and rides a bicycle to work or a homeowner with a manicured lawn and enough vehicles to fill his 3-stall garage?
Wise and wealthy, Solomon observed that it’s foolish to presume “that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it” (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11). The more you have, the more you have to work to keep what you have, but “We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us,” and so we realize that our “hard work is for nothing” (vv.15-16).
Jesus said that “life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15), and Solomon adds that even what you own can interfere with life. It sounds crazy, but Grigori might actually be better off without the money. As long as his basic needs are met, he certainly is no worse.
An opportunity to earn additional income can be a gift from God. But if you simply can’t imagine turning down the money, it may end up merely adding to your financial bondage. —Mike Wittmer
How much of your energy is spent earning, spending, and tracking money? While this is a necessary part of stewardship, what can you do to keep your financial portfolio in perspective?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...Book Review: A Prisoner And Yet
By Eugene Seah, 23, Singapore Corrie Ten Boom loves everyone—friends or foes. She loves her fellow Jews as well as the German state secret police officers of the Nazi regime who beat and captured her and her family. She said, “I do so pity the man who beat me.” She loved by sharing precious rations with [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Chocolate-fueled Car
March 13, 2011
READ: 1 Kings 19:1-8
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. —Psalm 19:7
Many people like both the sweetness and the energy they get from chocolate. Yet British auto technicians have found a surprising use for this sweet food. Scientists at the University of Warwick have built a racecar that runs on vegetable oils and chocolate. The fuel provides energy so that the car can reach top speeds of 135 mph.
The Bible also records a surprising source of energy from a food. When Elijah had been used by God on Mt. Carmel to call fire down from heaven, this spiritual high was followed by persecution and melancholy. In response to Elijah’s depression, God sent an angel to provide food, drink, and rest for the weary prophet. The sustaining power of that food from heaven was remarkable: “So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:8).
Just as we need food to sustain our physical lives, we also need nourishing food for our spiritual lives. God’s Word is “sweeter . . . than honey and the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10) and feeds our souls. It makes “wise the simple” (v.7) and provides both nourishment and energy for life’s long journey. Take time to feed on it.
— Dennis Fisher
God feeds us through His Word.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: samson’s dating advice
One of the Philistine women caught [Samson’s] eye (v.1).
READ: Judges 14
Before I met and eventually married my husband, I tried online dating. The matchmaking service promised to weed through zillions of searching singles to find the most compatible matches. So I hunched over the keyboard and filled out the compatibility questionnaire. It took hours, but I was ready for some help on deciding who to date.
Samson is infamous for his messed-up love life. Taking a look at his romantic mistakes can help us head off some personal heartache. The trouble began for the man with the flowing mane when he noticed a young lady who didn’t share his faith. “One of the Philistine women caught his eye” (Judges 14:1). The Philistines were pagans, and Samson was an Israelite who had been dedicated to God from birth (13:5). Mistake #1: We’re inviting heartbreak when we pursue people who don’t believe in Jesus.
Even though the Philistine woman wasn’t a spiritual match, Samson said, “She looks good to me” (v.3), and decided to marry her. Appearances can be deceiving—whether it’s a sparkling smile, beautiful hair, or even chivalrous conduct. Mistake #2: We’re headed for trouble when we sprint into relationships based on a person’s outward show alone.
Samson’s parents asked him to take another look at the local single girls (v.3), but he refused. He didn’t listen to the advice of the people who knew him best. Mistake #3: We’re in trouble when we refuse to listen to close friends and family who can be more objective than us when starry-eyed excitement clouds our thinking.
Samson went on to marry his Philistine sweetheart, but then had to endure a forced separation from her. If he could give us dating advice, it might go something like this: Date people who share your faith. Don’t dwell solely on outward appearances and actions. And listen to godly input from people who know you well. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Why is it sometimes difficult to apply biblical wisdom to our romantic lives? How is Samson’s advice on dating different from the world’s?
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: A Clear View
March 12, 2011
READ: Matthew 5:1-12
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. —Matthew 5:8
The Gran Telescopio Canarias, one of the world’s most powerful telescopes, sits atop an extinct volcano on La Palma, Canary Islands. Inaugurated in July 2009 by King Carlos of Spain, it offers astronomers an unusually clear view of the heavens. Located at 7,870 feet, the telescope is above the cloud cover, where the prevailing winds are dry and turbulence-free. Here, near the equator, scientists can study all of the Northern Celestial Hemisphere and part of the Southern.
Jesus chose a mountainside to teach His followers about the characteristics of a life yielded to God. There He taught them that attitude, not altitude, was the key to having a clear view of the Father.
Tucked into the passage known as the Beatitudes, Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). This is not just for the few who try to achieve it, but for all who will humbly receive it. To have a heart that is clean in God’s eyes, we need to accept the Father’s pardon through Christ His Son. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse [purify] us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
A mountaintop is a great place to see the stars, but to clearly see God requires a change of heart.
— David C. McCasland
To get a clear view of God, focus on Jesus Christ.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
