ODJ: safety net
God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin (v.3). READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 A friend of mine bought a trampoline for his young boys. After he had assembled it, his sons excitedly begged him to let them give it try. He reluctantly let them climb onto it but told [...]
ODB: An Obstacle Inventory
August 20, 2011
READ: 2 Corinthians 6:3-10
Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. —Romans 14:13
Fault-finding is a popular pastime, and unfortunately a lot of us find it’s easy to join the fun. Concentrating on the warts of others is a great way to feel better about ourselves. And that’s just the problem. Avoiding the faults that need to be fixed in our own lives not only stunts our spiritual growth but also obstructs God’s work through us. God’s effectiveness through our lives is enhanced or hindered by the way we live.
It’s no wonder, then, that Paul made a concerted effort to “put no obstacle in anyone’s way” (2 Cor. 6:3 ESV). For him there was nothing more important than his usefulness for Christ in the lives of others. Anything that got in the way of that was dispensable.
If you want to be authentic and useful for God, take an obstacle inventory. Sometimes obstacles are things that in and of themselves may be legitimate, yet in certain contexts may be inappropriate. But sin is clearly obstructive to others. Gossip, slander, boasting, bitterness, greed, abuse, anger, selfishness, and revenge all close the hearts of those around us to the message of God through us.
So, replace your faults with the winsome ways of Jesus. That will enable others to see your “no-fault” Savior more clearly.
— Joe Stowell
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Loading ...ODJ: our own making?
Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong (v.7).
READ: Colossians 2:6-19
As a teacher, I find the Middle Ages to be both fascinating and disconcerting. A fixed pillar of the literary canon, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales vividly shows the reliance of humanity on the outward practices at the expense of the inward heart. In my 21st-century, biblically literate mind, I wonder how people could become so dependent on having relics for their well-being. I gasp at the thought of praying for pardon for sins already paid for with Jesus’ blood. But then I reflect on my own humanity, my own fixed objects and practices of assurance.
Steadfast in the work that Christ completed, Paul admonishes us to become intimate with the same valiant power of Christ that triumphed over the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:12-15) and to become sure, not in our own efforts but in His transformational work (vv.9-10).
If salvation doesn’t happen through human ability (v.11), then it follows that our sanctification doesn’t come by our own efforts. We are changed through God working in us (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). Our works of faith reveal the condition of our heart and position us for further spiritual growth, but they can’t make a filthy heart clean (Ephesians 2:8; James 2:17-26).
In a world so dependent on the visible, we need to take inventory of our own motivations. Spiritual disciplines, ministry involvement, and financial giving are all vital parts of a healthy spiritual walk. But at the point at which we believe that any of these things grant us security, we’ve missed the mark. Jesus called us to grow “with a growth which is from God” (Colossians 2:19 NASB). He doesn’t call us to spiritual busyness. The difference between the two is the difference between intimacy with Jesus and a “defrauding,” “self-made religion” (vv.18,23 NASB).
—Regina Franklin
What is the difference between empty religious actions and true acts that come from intimate faith in God? Why is “self-made religion” so dangerous to our spiritual well-being?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: The Human Camera
August 19, 2011
READ: 1 John 1:1-5
The Holy Spirit . . . will . . . bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. —John 14:26
Steven Wiltshire, who has been called “the human camera,” has the amazing ability to recall tiny details about anything he has seen and then reproduce them in drawings. For example, after Steven was flown over the city of Rome, he was asked to draw the city center on blank paper. Astonishingly, he accurately reproduced from memory the winding streets, the buildings, the windows, and other details.
Wiltshire’s memory is remarkable. Yet there’s another kind of memory that’s even more amazing—and much more vital. Before Jesus’ return to heaven, He promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to give them supernatural memory of what they had experienced: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit . . . will . . . bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).
The disciples heard Christ’s marvelous teachings. They heard Him command the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dead to be raised. Yet when the Gospel writers recorded these events, their words were not the product of a gifted human memory. Their recollections came from a divine Helper who made sure they compiled a trustworthy record of Christ’s life.
Trust the Bible with confidence. It was written with guidance from the “divine camera,” the Holy Spirit.
— Dennis Fisher
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: child guide
He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them (v.16).
READ: Mark 10:13-16
According to UNICEF, 4 million newborns die each year within their first month of life and 8.8 million die before their first birthday. Nineteen million infants in the developing world are born underweight and 148 million children under age 5 suffer malnutrition. There are 101 million children who aren’t attending primary school and 2 million living with HIV. These huge numbers represent real faces and personalities.
Children also suffered during Jesus’ day. In Mark, children are depicted as either “sick” or “oppressed” (see 5:35-43, 7:24-30, 9:14-27). Moreover, a child of that era was often considered less important than an adult.
The disciples were quick to deflect children and their parents away from Jesus (10:13). Such an important teacher was not to be troubled by mere kids! But Jesus became indignant at their behavior, noting that children have a special place in His kingdom (v.14). He wrapped His arms around the children and blessed them (v.16).
This display of affection and compassion for children was controversial for a rabbi, but Jesus went further. He made children a role model for adults. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (v.15). This was an unthinkable thing to say in Jesus’ day. Children were to be led—not followed.
Jesus’ radical love of kids means two things for those of us who follow Him today. First, we should work hard to see those UNICEF statistics change. Jesus rescued children from illness and oppression and welcomed them into His embrace. So should we.
Second, we should emulate the faith of a child. Jesus’ kingdom isn’t to be earned or accomplished but received like a gift. In this, Jesus says, children can be our guide. —Sheridan Voysey
Jesus resented the poor treatment of children. How often are you troubled by it? To what degree do you trust Jesus?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Me, Myself(ishness), and I
By Rachelle Bontreger, 19, USA As a college student, much of my life seems to be highly self-centered. I worry about my schedule, my grades, my finances, and my future. I have to find time for my friends, my TV shows, and my personal time with God (but the last one seems to end up [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Promises You Can Bank On
August 18, 2011
READ: 2 Chronicles 6:1-11
For all the promises of God in [Christ] are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. —2 Corinthians 1:20
After a global financial crisis, the US government enacted stricter laws to protect people from questionable banking practices. Banks had to change some of their policies to comply. To notify me of such changes, my bank sent me a letter. But when I got to the end I had more questions than answers. The use of phrases like “we may” and “at our discretion” certainly didn’t sound like anything I could depend on!
In contrast, the Old Testament quotes God as saying “I will” numerous times. God promises David: “I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-13). No uncertainty in those words. Recognizing God’s faithfulness to His promises, King Solomon says in his prayer of dedication for the temple: “You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand” (2 Chron. 6:15). Centuries later, the apostle Paul said that all of God’s promises are “yes” in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20).
In a world of uncertainty, our trust is in a faithful God who will always keep His promises.
— Julie Ackerman Link
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Praying Like Christ
By Haddon W. Robinson With friends like his, Job didn’t need enemies. His three would-be comforters failed miserably in their efforts to ease his pain. Instead of bringing sympathy, they recited a creed of iron and ice that only compounded his anguish. Yet Job was able to emerge from his cave of pain and confusion [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: the only way?
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (v.12).
READ: Acts 4:1-22
Meryl Streep played a nun in the movie Doubt, so, of course, she was asked her opinion on religion. She answered that the teachings of various religions “form a kind of fence that divides us from each other,” and that as a mother “I deeply resent the idea that if you’re not a member of a church, temple, ashram, synagogue or—what else is there?—that you are somehow denying your children the meaning of life. I feel I’m a deeply moral person. But often religion is a club, out of which people are excluded.”
Streep’s comments resonate with our generation. Our culture’s highest value is inclusion—we want everyone to feel as if they belong. While this is a noble aim, it can become silly when every child receives a trophy just for participating, and it can become dangerous when we think that every religion leads to God.
Jesus is the only way to life, because He alone can heal our sin disease. This was Peter’s point in Acts 4 as he addressed the religious leaders. As the crippled man “was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ,” so there is “no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10,12).
Peter’s insistence that Jesus is the only way strikes people in one of two ways. If they believe that people are basically good, they will think it is unloving to insist that everyone must believe in Jesus. But if they agree with Scripture that we are all sinners (Romans 3:10-12), they will understand that everyone needs a Savior.
Any path will not do. For we who are crippled by sin can’t take a single step toward righteousness without God’s help. We need a healer, and there’s only one candidate for that job. His name is Jesus. —Mike Wittmer
It’s popular to think that a loving God wouldn’t require sinners to believe in Jesus. How might this view be disrespectful of Jesus and what He did for us? Who is Jesus to you?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Friends In The Night
August 17, 2011
READ: 1 Samuel 20:30-42
The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. —1 Samuel 18:1
Do you have someone you could call in the middle of the night if you needed help? Bible teacher Ray Pritchard calls these people “2 a.m. friends.” If you have an emergency, this kind of friend would ask you two questions: “Where are you?” and “What do you need?”
Friends like that are crucial during difficult times. Jonathan was that type of friend for David. Jonathan’s father, King Saul—who was filled with envy at David’s popularity and God’s blessing on him—tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:9-10). David escaped and asked his friend for help (ch. 20). While David hid in the field, Jonathan sat at dinner with his father and quickly realized that Saul did indeed intend to kill David (vv.24-34).
Because of their deep friendship, Jonathan “was grieved for David” (v.34). He warned him of his father’s plan and told him he should leave (vv.41-42). David recognized what a good friend he had in Jonathan. The Bible says they wept together, “but David more so” (v.41). Their souls were “knit” together.
Do you have loving Christian friends you can count on in a crisis? Are you someone your friends would call a “2 a.m. friend”?
— Anne Cetas
Source: Our Daily Bread
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