ODJ: forever young
So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding (6:1). READ: Hebrews 5:11-6:3 Brooke Greenberg likes to giggle and crawl around just like any other toddler. She’s 76 cm (30 inches) tall and weighs about 7 kg (16 pounds), but [...]
Brought Near | King David & King Jesus
By David Wong, 21, Singapore So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. —2 Samuel 9:5 (nlt) After Ziba revealed to King David that Jonathan had a crippled son who is still alive, instead of rejecting him due to his handicap, David accepted Mephibosheth and asked for his location. We pick up the story in [...]
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Loading ...ODB: Breath of Life
April 14, 2011
READ: Psalm 139:13-18
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. —Job 33:4
In his book Life After Heart Surgery, David Burke recalls his close brush with death. Lying in his hospital bed after a second open-heart surgery, he found himself in incredible pain, unable to draw a full breath. Feeling that he was slipping toward eternity, he prayed one last time, trusting God and thanking Him for forgiveness of his sin.
David was thinking about seeing his dad, who had died several years earlier, when his nurse asked how he was feeling. He replied, “I’m okay now,” explaining he was ready to go to heaven and meet God. “Not on my shift, buddy!” she said. Soon the doctors were opening his chest again and removing two liters of fluid. That done, David began to recover.
It’s not unusual for any of us to ponder what it will be like when we face our final moments on earth. But those who “die in the Lord” have the certainty that they are “blessed” (Rev. 14:13) and that their death is “precious in the sight of the Lord” (Ps. 116:15).
God fashioned our days even before we existed (Ps. 139:16), and we exist now only because “the breath of the Almighty gives [us] life” (Job 33:4). Though we don’t know how many breaths we have left—we can rest in the knowledge that He does.
— Cindy Hess Kasper
From our first breath to our last, we are in God’s care.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: angels
“My lord, . . . stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. . . . Let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey” (vv.3-5).
READ: Genesis 18:1-15
I was leaving the Guangzhou train station with my ticket when I noticed a distraught Westerner bewildered by the long and jagged lines forming around her. I realized that she must be new to China because she apparently didn’t know that train stations often have ticket offices reserved especially for foreigners. I told her to follow me and I led her to a special room where she easily bought a ticket. Along the way, I learned that she was a Christian. She was so grateful for my help that she asked if I was an angel!
I laughed and said that I was only a human with a bit more experience in China, but she may have had a point. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” While this is true, as Gideon and Manoah discovered in Judges 6 and 13, it’s also true that the person who extends hospitality is himself a kind of angel.
The term angel means “messenger,” and it’s not a stretch to think that God sent me to the Guangzhou train station at that time to help His child who was in distress. Scripture repeatedly commands us to be on the lookout for others. Paul writes, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13). Peter adds, “Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay” (1 Peter 4:9). And Jesus explained that when we feed and clothe the poor, we are feeding and clothing Him (Matthew 25:37-40).
In light of God’s emphasis on hospitality, I’m glad that I was mistaken for an angel. But I’m sad that it’s happened only once. —Mike Wittmer
Martin Luther said that when we serve others we are the “mask of God.” How might this fill our hospitality with purpose? How have you been an “angel” to someone?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: Sourdough Bread
April 13, 2011
READ: Luke 12:1-7
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. —Luke 12:1
Sourdough bread became popular during the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. In the 1890s, it was a favorite during the great Gold Rush in Alaska. Prospectors would carry with them a small portion of sourdough mix that contained a natural yeast. It could then be used as a starter to make more of their favorite sourdough bread.
In the Bible, though, yeast or leaven can have a negative connotation. For example, in the New Testament, “leaven” is often referred to as a corrupting influence. This is why Jesus said: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1).
Hypocrites put on a show of righteousness while hiding sinful thoughts and behavior. Christ warned His disciples and us that secret sins will someday be exposed to full disclosure. He said, “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (v.2). Because of this, we are to reverentially fear God, to ask for His grace to forsake any sin, and to grow as authentic believers.
Yeast may be a blessing in the bakery, but it can also remind us to guard against the permeating influence of sin in our hearts.
— Dennis Fisher
Be sure your sin will find you out. —Numbers 32:23
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: more than loaves
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with Me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs” (v.26).
READ: John 6:25-59
Isaac Penington, an early defender and promoter of the Quaker movement (founded in 17th-century England), said, “Thus has the Lord been teaching me to live upon Himself, not from anything received from Him but upon the Life itself.” The crowd in John 6 wanted to live off Jesus, not because their hearts were loyal to Him, but because their hearts were loyal to what they thought He could provide for them—food and deliverance from Roman oppression.
The provision of the loaves of bread (John 6:8-13) was, in their minds, a confirmation of this. So Jesus withdrew, showing His rejection of their perception of the kind of Messiah they desired (vv.14-15).
The next day the crowd looked for Him and found Him, suggesting a successful quest (vv.22,25). Again, they had followed Him because of what they thought He could provide for them. But Jesus turned the tables on them and identified Himself as the Bread of Life (v.35). He—rather than the law or anything else—was the source of eternal life (vv.33,48,51,58). Only those who believed in Jesus and internalized His words, ethics, pattern of thinking, and truth would find true fulfillment in life. This was so radically different from what the people had in mind that some of them stopped following Him (vv.60-66).
In our consumer-driven world, it’s easy to follow Jesus just for “the loaves.” But He alone can satisfy our deepest hunger for Himself. He will satisfy us when we stay connected to Him (see John 15) through reading and living out His words; when we stay connected to His body of believers, and when we serve others as He did.
Let’s follow Jesus, not simply because He can provide the loaves, but because He alone is God and—as we trust in Him—He provides all we need for life today and for all eternity. —Marvin Williams
Why do you follow Jesus? How has your perception of Him changed over the years? What has been surprising? Shocking? Reassuring?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Discover How God Uses the Most Unlikely People
Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Losing things Part 3: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things Part 4: Blessed are the poor in Spirit Download the lesson notes for this discussion here!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Pay Attention to Signs
April 12, 2011
READ: Luke 11:29-45
As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. —Luke 11:30
The road was smooth and we were making good progress as we headed for Jay’s dad’s house in South Carolina. As we drove through the mountains in Tennessee, I began seeing detour signs. But Jay kept going, so I assumed that they didn’t apply to us. Shortly before we reached the North Carolina border, we came to a sign that said the highway ahead was closed due to a rock slide. We would have to turn around. Jay was surprised. “Why wasn’t there any warning?” he wanted to know. “There were lots of warnings,” I said. “Didn’t you see the signs?” “No,” he said, “why didn’t you mention them?” “I assumed that you saw them,” I answered. We now tell this story to entertain our friends.
Throughout history, God provided plenty of “signs” to show people the way to live, but they kept going their own way. When God finally sent His Son as a sign (Luke 11:30), the religious leaders paid little attention to His warnings. Life for them was good. They were recognized and respected (v.43). They resented being told that they were wrong (v.45).
We can be the same way. When life is going well, we tend to ignore warnings that we need to turn around and change our sinful ways. It’s important to remember that we may be wrong even though life is good.
— Julie Ackerman Link
God sends warnings to protect us, not to punish us.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: defend this
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners (v.6).
READ: Romans 5:6-11
Columnist Kathleen Parker recalls a defining moment from her high-school years. She had just transferred to a new school when her teacher asked her to diagram a sentence. Parker had never learned this aspect of grammar, so she didn’t have a clue how to do it. Her awkward response evoked derisive laughter from the class.
Instantly, the teacher spun away from the chalkboard and snapped at the students: “She can outwrite any of you any day of the week!” Parker felt relief, vindication—even triumph.
She looks back to that pivotal moment with deep gratitude. “I started that day to try to write as well as he said I could,” she says. Eventually, Parker would win the coveted Pulitzer Prize.
Defending our fellow human beings in their weak and vulnerable moments is a divine attribute, so it’s no surprise that Jesus spent His life doing that. When the disciples considered small children an intrusion on the Lord’s time, Jesus welcomed them (Luke 18:15-17). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, He held up a member of a despised minority group as the protagonist in the powerful story (10:30-35). When scheming religious leaders trapped a woman in adultery and brought her before a crowd at the temple, Jesus shamed her accusers, offering her forgiveness and a better future (John 8:1-11). When we were incapable of helping ourselves, He gave up His very life for us (Romans 5:6).
Defending the defenseless may be as simple as coming alongside another in a show of solidarity and alliance. On rare occasions, it may mean an act of heroism. Regardless, when we defend the vulnerable, we give our brothers and sisters a chance to become what God intends them to be. In a small but significant way, we reflect the heart of God Himself. —Tim Gustafson
How do you feel when you see others suffer? When someone else is the object of mockery? What will you do to show God’s love to the weak and vulnerable today?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Movie Review: The Adjustment Bureau
By Ian Gustafson, 19, Michigan USA So, do you believe that everything is predestined or that we have free will? What? You think that’s kind of a heavy subject? Not really the kind of thing you talk about when you’re just having fun at the movies with your friends? Then you haven’t seen The Adjustment [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
