ODB: Abusing Grace?
April 30, 2011 READ: Romans 6:1-14 Do not let sin reign in your mortal body. —Romans 6:12 Paul said in Romans 5:20, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” But that radical concept opens a theological floodgate. The biblical writer Jude warned that it is possible to “change the grace of our God into a [...]
ODJ: fish on!
Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God (v.47).
READ: John 8:42-47
Fish on!” I’ve heard those words shouted many times while trolling for salmon on Lake Michigan. It’s the traditional way anglers announce that a fish has been hooked and the fight has begun.
On one occasion, the angler who grabbed the pole that was dancing wildly in the rod holder was my buddy’s teenage son, Jake. For 20 minutes, Jake battled the fish valiantly. As his arms tired from exhaustion, he wondered if he would ever land the fish. Near the end, the fish nearly got away when it wrapped the line around the base of the boat motor. But after we thought he had lost it, the nearly 30-pounder surfaced still hooked. Within minutes, it surrendered to our net.
Jake’s experience in fighting the salmon illustrates the ups and downs of our much more difficult battle against the forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). At times, it’s exhilarating to join God in taking back ground from the evil one. We feel a deep sense of purpose as we do battle in the ongoing war against evil that started long before the world began (Revelation 12:7-9). But there are also times when the battle takes its toll on us. Weary, we become vulnerable to falling for lies such as you can’t go on anymore or this isn’t worth the fight.
Satan is a crafty enemy. If he can’t defeat us head on, he’ll often switch to a more subtle tactic to outwit us—the lie (John 8:44). But rather than agreeing with his lies, we can keep the devil at bay by refusing to believe his words and reminding ourselves of this truth: “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
Standing on the truth doesn’t get you out of the fight, but it does give you the strength to stand your ground. Listen to God’s words, not Satan’s lies. —Jeff Olson
Has Satan been getting the best of you? What lies of his have you entertained? How will you stand up against his attacks?
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Loading ...ODB: Star Power
April 29, 2011
READ: Job 38:1-11,31-33
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? —Job 38:33
For all of us who, like Job, have suffered through tragedy and then dared to aim our questions at God, chapter 38 of Job’s book should give us plenty to think about. Imagine what it must have felt like for the great man of the East when “out of the whirlwind” he heard God say, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me” (vv.1-3). Gulp!
Job must have felt as puny as an ant. As God unveiled His questions in the verses that follow, what He said was as unexpected as it was powerful. He didn’t really answer Job’s “why” questions. Instead, God seemed to be telling him to notice the power and might with which He created this world and to observe His ability to control every element of it. Isn’t that reason enough to trust God? Job should have been asking himself.
As one example of His awesome power, God pointed to the sky and told Job to observe two of His awe-inspiring creations: Pleiades and Orion (v.31). Highlighting His grandeur and man’s relative insignificance, God mentioned two constellations that demonstrate power beyond our understanding.
This is Someone we can trust. If He has the stars in His hands, surely He can take care of us as well.
— Dave Branon
He who holds the stars in space holds His people in His hands.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: friend of sinners
The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, “He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!” (Luke 7:34).
READ: Matthew 5:20-48
Jesus’ teachings can seem to be paradoxical.
Exhibit A: He requires a standard of living that’s even more rigorous than the Old Testament. Jewish law condemned adultery (Ex. 20:14); Jesus said that even looking at someone lustfully was wrong (Matt. 5:27-28). Jewish law allowed for divorce (Deut. 24:1); Jesus condemned it except for marital infidelity (Matt. 5:32). Many Jewish leaders misread the Law and felt it allowed for retaliation (Exodus 21:23-25); Jesus taught otherwise (Matt. 5:38-42). Murder was always condemned (Ex. 20:13), but Jesus saw anger and hate as equally bad (Matt. 5:22). Jesus definitely calls us to high moral standards of eternal significance (v.20).
Exhibit B: But Jesus also earned a rather odd reputation as the “friend of . . . sinners” (Luke 7:34). He dealt gently with the divorced and the sexually loose (John 4:17-18, 8:10-11). He had dinner with thieving tax collectors (Luke 19:5-8) and welcomed people with bad reputations (7:37-39). Simon the zealot, one of Jesus’ own disciples, was a political revolutionary, and Peter was even capable of violence (6:15; John 18:10). Jesus kept company with the very people least likely to live up to His moral standards. And that’s good news.
If you’re a murderer, adulterer, thief, or drunkard; if you’ve lusted, lied, or been lax in keeping confidences; if you’re greedy, angry, jealous, or selfish, Jesus is prepared to accept you. He’s a friend of sinners. The only people Jesus can’t accept are the arrogantly self-righteous—those who deny their need for change and forgiveness; those lost in the deceptive belief that they are superior to all (Matt. 9:12).
Jesus was no doe-eyed softy, relaxing morals in some free-love way. His ethics are hard, His standards high. But He’s also a friend of sinners, including you and me. —Sheridan Voysey
How does this characteristic of Jesus comfort you when you sin? Which “sinner” have you pulled away from that you should instead—like Jesus—move toward in grace?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Jesus Died for King David | King David & King Jesus
By David Wong, 21, Singapore David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.” —2 Samuel 12:13 Imagine you were Uriah’s parents. Imagine you were in the king’s courts when prophet Nathan confronted king David of his sin. [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Haters of God
April 28, 2011
READ: 2 Timothy 2:23-26
God gave them over to a debased mind. —Romans 1:28
Recently, I listened to an audiobook by a militant advocate for atheism. As the author himself read his own work with spiteful sarcasm and contempt, it made me wonder why he was so angry.
The Bible tells us that a rejection of God can actually lead to a more hateful attitude toward Him: “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind . . . [to become] haters of God” (Rom. 1:28-30).
Turning one’s back on God does not lead to secular neutrality. Indeed, recent militant atheists have shown their desire to remove any reference to a Creator from culture.
When we hear about atheists trying to remove crosses or the Ten Commandments from society, it’s easy to respond to their hatred of God with our own hatred. But we’re exhorted to defend the truth with an attitude of love, “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25).
The next time you see the works or hear the words of a hater of God, do an attitude check. Then ask God for a spirit of humility and pray that the offender might come to the knowledge of the truth.
— Dennis Fisher
Defend the truth with love.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: searching
The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him (v.25).
READ: Lamentations 3:22-32
Recently, archaeologist Eilat Mazar found fortifications that were built in Jerusalem some 3,000 years ago. She believes that they were constructed by Solomon, as described in the Old Testament. Her unearthed evidence strongly rebuts what secular scholars believe: “that David’s [and Solomon’s] monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era.” Eilat’s passionate digging and searching made for one amazing find!
In Lamentations 3, the author (believed to be the prophet Jeremiah) wrote of the importance of searching after something more important than ancient ruins. He wrote, “The Lord is good to . . . those who search for Him” (v.25). What’s so striking about this verse—and all of chapter 3—is that it’s an oasis of hope within a book of the Bible known for its misery and lament. Why did the prophet have hope? Because of God’s “faithful love” and the fact that “His mercies never cease” (v.22).
Keep in mind that Jeremiah had witnessed the heart-wrenching destruction of the city of Jerusalem. God’s people had been defeated, and many of them had been exiled to Babylon. Death and devastation followed them.
Even in that dark moment, Jeremiah chose to earnestly seek God and His compassionate heart (v.32). He wrote, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” (v.24). Hope. He still had it, even though everything else was gone—painfully torn from him and his people. Jeremiah chose to wait in silence before His faithful God (vv.23,28). The prophet and his people had been disciplined by the Lord for their rebellion against Him, but Jeremiah knew they wouldn’t be “abandoned by [Him] forever” (v.31).
If you’re lacking hope today, search for God. His love and compassion will never fail you. —Tom Felten
What happens when we choose not to seek God while we’re experiencing heartache and misery? What happens when we do search for Him?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Durians
By Ian Gustafson, 19, Michigan USA When I first encountered a durian I thought it smelled like BO and that it would really hurt if somebody threw one at me. The hard, spikey exterior and offensive stench are off-putting. But crack it open and you find a sweet, creamy substance that makes this strange creation [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Whispering Gallery
April 27, 2011
READ: Proverbs 10:11-23
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19
London’s domed St. Paul’s Cathedral has an interesting architectural phenomenon called the “whispering gallery.” One Web site explains it this way: “The name comes from the fact that a person who whispers facing the wall on one side can be clearly heard on the other, since the sound is carried perfectly around the vast curve of the Dome.”
In other words, you and a friend could sit on opposite sides of architect Sir Christopher Wren’s great cathedral and carry on a conversation without having to speak above a whisper.
While that may be a fascinating feature of St. Paul’s Cathedral, it can also be a warning to us. What we say about others in secret can travel just as easily as whispers travel around that gallery. And not only can our gossip travel far and wide, but it often does great harm along the way.
Perhaps this is why the Bible frequently challenges us about the ways we use words. The wise King Solomon wrote, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Prov. 10:19).
Instead of using whispers and gossip that can cause hurt and pain while serving no good purpose, we would do better to restrain ourselves and practice silence.
— Bill Crowder
Gossip ends at a wise person’s ears.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: wanted
Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ (v.4).
READ: Ephesians 1:1-14
Two weeks ago, our friends traveled to Ethiopia to meet and bring home their newly adopted daughter. For a couple of years, our friends have prayed for little Lilia, saved thousands of dollars to pay the adoption expenses, and then waited months and months until they could welcome her into their life. But before they knew who would be their daughter and before they knew her name or face, they were already waiting for her. They wanted her.
In his Ephesians letter, the apostle Paul offers a long list of the myriad ways God has waited for us and desired us. In the original Greek, these verses (1:3-14) are one long, gushing sentence (more than 200 words). It’s as if Paul gets carried away with excitement and his words run off the page as he attempts to describe the extent of God’s love for us. Paul tells us that:
• God chose us “before He made the world” (v.4). For those of us who have always felt left out and never included, we can relish in the fact that we’ve been chosen. And we were chosen long before we took our first breath.
• God “decided in advance to adopt us” (v.5). For those of us who live with the constant fear that we will somehow bungle or mismanage God’s kindness, we can rest in God’s firm decision to love us. If we want Jesus, we will find He has already (and for a very long time) wanted us.
• God “has showered His kindness on us” (v.8). For those of us who have never felt another’s extravagant, I’m-crazy-about-you love, we can rejoice in the reality that God delights in us.
If you have never felt that you were truly wanted, know this: God wants you . . . more than you can imagine. —Winn Collier
When have you felt the least desired or wanted in your life? What does it feel like to be desired by God?
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