ODB: The Dividing Wall
April 19, 2011 READ: Ephesians 2:11-22; 4:1-3 He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. —Ephesians 2:14 November 9, 2010, marked the 21st anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. On that day in 1989, an announcement over East German TV informed people [...]
ODJ: prepare for action
Let us show the truth by our actions (v.18).
READ: 1 John 3:11-24
As a chaplain for athletes competing in the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, one night I stayed out particularly late serving at the figure skating venue. Cold and exhausted, I finally headed back to my room at 1:00 a.m. On the way, I was shocked when several members of the USA Men’s Hockey Team walked by—boasting about the partying they were about to engage in.
Their “good times” in Nagano were short-lived, however. For just one day later, the team that was a medal favorite lost in an early round and ultimately finished an unthinkable sixth overall.
God’s Word teaches that “just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions” (Matthew 7:20). For the team mentioned above, the actions of some partying hockey players brought criticism upon themselves, their teammates, and their country. “Their lasting legacy of the Nagano Olympics,” wrote freelance hockey journalist Joe Pelletier, “was a trashed hotel room courtesy of a few unnamed players.”
To achieve success, an athlete’s skills must be backed by a disciplined lifestyle. Similarly, to bring glory to Jesus, a believer’s faith and actions should work together. It is actions that make “faith complete” (James 2:22).
“Our actions,” wrote the apostle John, “will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God” (1 John 3:19). This idea was lived out by Rahab the prostitute, who was “shown to be right with God when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road” (James 2:25).
When our actions reflect our faith in Christ, we’re more likely to draw people to God than by words alone (James 2:14). Let’s truly display our faith by the things we do and say (1 John 3:18). —Roxanne Robbins
What is one behavior you can change to better reveal the faith that you proclaim? How did Jesus model a faith that was reflected in both words and actions?
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...ODB: The Purpose of God’s Goodness
April 18, 2011
READ: Psalm 67
God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. —Psalm 67:1
When I was growing up, we often sang a song in Sunday school that went like this: “God is good to me! God is good to me! He holds my hand and helps me stand! God is good to me!”
I need to say right away that I believe God is good and He takes delight in doing good things for people. He does indeed hold our hand in times of trouble and helps us stand against the onslaught of life’s difficulties. But I wonder if you’ve ever asked yourself, Why is He good? It certainly is not because we deserve it or because He feels the need to buy our love and allegiance with His benefits.
The psalmist prays for God to bless him so that “[the Lord’s] way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Ps. 67:2). God’s daily blessings are proof positive that He is indeed a good God who cares for His own. But how will our world know this about God if we never praise Him for His goodness to us? (v.3).
So, the next time God blesses you, be sure to look for ways to appropriately give Him the credit. Consuming His blessings without communicating His goodness shortchanges the very purpose of His gifts of grace in our lives.
— Joe Stowell
God is good—make sure the people in your world know what He has done in your life.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: pray for me
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere (v.18).
READ: Ephesians 6:10-19
Make my life a prayer to You, I wanna do what You want me to, No empty words and no white lies, No token prayers, no compromise. I love those lyrics from Christian singer/songwriter Keith Green who died almost 3 decades ago. His passionate heart for God is reflected in every word.
In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul described how we can make our lives a prayer to God by having an active prayer life. He wrote, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion” (v.18).
It’s not coincidental that Paul penned those words after having addressed the fact that we’re in a spiritual battle, not “fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies” (v.12). His famous metaphor of us putting on spiritual armor is clear and instructive (v.13). For without truth, righteousness, peace that comes from the good news, faith, salvation, and God’s Word, we will wilt before our unseen enemies.
But what’s the one thing the apostle tells us to do every moment as we battle? Pray. To do what God wants us to do, to live without compromise, to withstand “the fiery arrows of the devil” (v.16), requires continuous communication with our Father in heaven. We should “never stop praying” (1 Th. 5:17).
When things go wrong, sometimes we stop praying the right way. As Keith wrote, either our prayers are “token,” or we’ve simply stopped communicating with God altogether. Instead of being “persistent in [our] prayers” (Ephesians 6:18), we’ve shown our lack of faith and loss of love for God by not talking with Him.
It’s time to make your life a prayer to God. Follow Paul’s example. He told the Ephesians, “Pray for me” (v.19). By doing so, he acknowledged the amazing power that comes from God as we pray to Him “at all times.” —Tom Felten
What’s been keeping you from passionately praying to God? How will you change your prayer life this week?
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Of Speed-dating Shows and Self-Image Woes
By Tracy Phua, 24, Singapore One thing that is a must-do when I reach a foreign land is to check out the available television programs on the local channels. So while in China recently, I flipped through the one hundred over channels. I finally stopped at one that looked pretty interesting. The words at the [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Who Is This?
April 17, 2011
READ: Luke 19:28-40
Blessed is [He] who comes in the name of the Lord! —Luke 19:38
Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with onlookers by a dirt road. The woman behind you is on her tiptoes, trying to see who is coming. In the distance, you glimpse a man riding a donkey. As He approaches, people toss their coats onto the road. Suddenly, you hear a tree crack behind you. A man is cutting down palm branches, and people are spreading them out ahead of the donkey.
Jesus’ followers zealously honored Him as He entered Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion. The multitude rejoiced and praised God for “all the mighty works they had seen” (Luke 19:37). Jesus’ devotees surrounded Him, calling out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (v.38). Their enthusiastic honor affected the people of Jerusalem. When Jesus finally arrived, “all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’” (Matt. 21:10).
Today, people are still curious about Jesus. Although we can’t pave His way with palm branches or shout praises to Him in person, we can still honor Him. We can discuss His remarkable works, assist people in need (Gal. 6:2), patiently bear insults (1 Peter 4:14-16), and love each other deeply (v.8). Then we must be ready to answer the onlookers who ask, “Who is Jesus?”
— Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: a King on a donkey?
Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt (v.5).
READ: Matthew 21:1-11
It was Sunday—the day we now call Palm Sunday. Without a doubt, this was not Jesus’ first visit to Jerusalem. As a devout Jew, Jesus would have gone to Jerusalem every year for the three great feasts (Luke 2:41-42; John 2:13, 5:1). In the past 3 years, Jesus had also ministered and taught in that great city. But His coming into Jerusalem this Sunday was radically different.
By riding a young donkey into Jerusalem at a time when thousands of worshipers were coming into the city, Jesus deliberately put Himself in the center of attention (Matthew 21:9-11). It was dangerous for him to enter Jerusalem, for there was a conspiracy to arrest and murder Him (John 11:57; Mark 14:1). But this ride into the Holy City was His “coronation” as King (Matthew 21:5), and the crowd acknowledged Him as the Davidic Messiah, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (v.9, NIV), meaning “Save us, we pray, Son of David.”
Why would Jesus take the place of prominence before thousands of people when for the past 3 years He had deliberately kept a low profile? (John 6:15, 7:10, 11:54). Why would He accept the people’s proclamation that He was King, just 5 days before His death?
Matthew says that this took place to fulfill a 500-year-old prophecy (Matthew 21:4-5) that God’s chosen king would come into Jerusalem “righteous and victorious, yet . . . humble . . . riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zech. 9:9; see also Genesis 49:10-11).
This was a truly unusual way for a triumphant king to enter a city. Conquering rulers normally rode on mighty stallions. But Jesus wasn’t riding a warhorse. This reveals what kind of King Jesus is. He came in meekness and lowliness. Jesus came, not for war, but to establish peace between God and us (Acts 10:36; Col. 1:20-21).
—K.T. Sim
How would you answer the question: “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:10). What kind of king is Jesus to you today? How can you honor Him as your King?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Of Pain and Gain
April 16, 2011
READ: Psalm 32
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. —Psalm 32:10
During summer training camp, the coaches on one football team wore T-shirts intended to urge their players to exert maximum effort. The shirts bore the motto, “Each day you must choose: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” Discipline is tough—and something we may try to avoid. But in sports and in life, short-term pain is often the only path to long-term gain. In the heat of battle it is too late to prepare. Either you are ready for the challenges of life or you will be haunted by the “what ifs,” “if onlys,” and “I should’ves” that accompany the failure to be prepared. That’s the pain of regret.
One source defines regret as “an intelligent and emotional dislike for personal past acts and behaviors.” It’s painful to look back at our choices through the lens of regret and feel the weight of our failures. This was the case for the psalmist. After a personal episode of sin and failure, he wrote, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him” (Ps. 32:10). In the clarity of hindsight, he saw the wisdom of a life that strives to honor the Lord—a life that does not need to be marked by regret.
May our choices today not result in regret, but rather be wise and God-honoring.
— Bill Crowder
Present choices determine future rewards.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: the wide arms of love
I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock (v.16
READ: Psalm 81:8-16
Donna Simpson weighs 600 pounds, but she’s working on gaining another 400. Intending to become the heaviest woman alive, Donna commenced a public campaign to market her intentions. She intends to eat healthy, but she plans to eat a lot. In her words, she eats “massive quantities of healthy food,” including more than 70 pieces of sushi and 20 chicken wraps in single meals. While Donna’s appetite captures headlines, other personal details appear to also be at play. Journalist Karine Ioffee writes that Simpson admits “she is as hungry for attention as for calorie-rich food.”
Whatever Simpson’s motivations and whatever one thinks of her choices, we all crave love and attention—and we work our own angles in attempting to secure them. The psalmist reiterated over and over again how vast and limitless God’s love was for His people. Repeatedly, the Psalms reminded Israel of God’s kindness, mercy, and protection. They retold the story of how God had “rescued [Israel] from the land of Egypt” and how, if Israel would simply obey God and receive His love, God would “fill [them] with good things” (81:10).
“But no,” says the psalmist, “[God’s] people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want [Him] around” (v.11). Isn’t it interesting that we spurn the very One who loves us most deeply? Often, we keep at arm’s length the only One who has the capacity to fill our deepest longings and cravings.
The psalm speaks of God’s intent to feed and satisfy us (v.16). He desires to love us in the places where we’re most deprived of love, and He wants to satisfy our deepest longings—our longings for Him. But God will not force Himself upon us. We have to open ourselves to Him. We have to walk into the wide arms of His love. —Winn Collier
What longing do you most want God to meet? What would keep you from simply receiving God’s care and provision for you?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Dealing with Delay
April 15, 2011
READ: Isaiah 26:1-9
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You. —Isaiah 26:3
In April 2010, clouds of ash spewed by a volcano in Iceland closed airports across the UK and Europe for 5 days. Nearly 100,000 flights were canceled and millions of passengers around the world found themselves in an enormous holding pattern on the ground. People missed important events, businesses lost money, and no one knew when it would end.
When our plans fall apart and there is no remedy, how do we deal with frustration and delay? Isaiah 26:3-4 is an anchor for our souls in every storm of life: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in [Jehovah], the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Whether we’re facing annoying inconvenience or heartbreaking loss, this rock-solid promise is worth memorizing and repeating every night when we close our eyes to sleep.
Today, when plans are shattered, do our minds dwell on the circumstances or on the Lord? During frustrating delay, can we still trust the loving heart of God? In the hymn “Like a River Glorious,” Frances Havergal so beautifully expressed what we long for.
— David C. McCasland
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
