Entries by YMI

ODB: My Kind Of People

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May 7, 2014 

READ: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 

Such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. —1 Corinthians 6:11 

Years ago in a worship service, pastor Ray Stedman stepped to the pulpit and read the text for the day: “Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that” (1 Cor. 6:9-11 nlt).

Then he looked up, a bemused smile on his face, and said, “I’m curious: How many of you have one or more of these sins in your background? If so, will you stand?”

There was a young man there who had never been in a church before. He had recently been saved at a Billy Graham crusade and came with fear and trembling to church that Sunday, not knowing what he would find. He later told me that when he heard the pastor’s question, he looked around to see if anyone would stand. At first no one did, but then most of the congregation was on their feet. He said to himself, “These are my kind of people!”

We can all find ourselves in Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians. But when we confess our sin and accept the gift of eternal life paid for by the death of Jesus, we become a new creation saved by grace (Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17).

— David H. Roper

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. 

ODJ: free to live the truth

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May 7, 2014 

READ: Galatians 5:13-26  

You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters (v.13).

When my son Wyatt was 10, we drove past a well known burger chain. “Dad”, Wyatt said, “I don’t like it that the commercials make the fast-food places look all joyful and happy. And then you go there and they’re sad and dirty.” Then he said, “And the bathrooms are nasty.”

Wyatt has discovered that not everything is as it seems. What we’re told may not in fact be the true story. In the bulk of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he encouraged the believers there to embrace the fact that Jesus’ power and life—secured on the cross and sealed by His resurrection—come as gifts of grace, not out of our works. We must know this: We do not create our righteousness. We’re righteous because Jesus Christ has determined to love us. We are loved. We are free. Full stop.

True freedom, however, doesn’t mean we’ve cast off all responsibilities and no longer need to consider what it means to live a life that exhibits goodness. Freedom comes as a gift, but we can make the foolish choice to surrender our freedom. Then we can become enslaved to whims and passions, addictions and trivial selfishness. We can, in fact, “destroy one another”, if we don’t intensely guard our freedom and love others well (Galatians 5:15).

To guard our freedom we need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and work. We must say “No!” to the old life (the flesh). We must commit to boldly love one another. We must courageously embrace the truth that we “who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of [our] sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there” (v.24).

The question isn’t whether or not Jesus has truly made us free. Rather, will we squander the freedom we’ve so lavishly been given? —Winn Collier

365-day plan› Esther 6:1-7:10

MORE
Read Ephesians 2:4-10 and consider what it reveals about God’s grace and our salvation. 
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How do you need the Holy Spirit to release you from bondage to the old ways of the flesh? Why is it important that the Holy Spirit provides both freedom from sin and conviction of it?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Heart Matters

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May 6, 2014 

READ: Proverbs 4:20-27 

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. —Proverbs 4:23 

Our hearts pump at a rate of 70-75 beats per minute. Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back. A healthy heart can do amazing things. Conversely, if our heart malfunctions, our whole body shuts down.

The same could be said of our “spiritual heart.” In Scripture, the word heart represents the center of our emotions, thinking, and reasoning. It is the “command center” of our life.

So when we read, “Keep your heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23), it makes a lot of sense. But it’s difficult advice to keep. Life will always make demands upon our time and energy that cry out for immediate attention. By comparison, taking time to hear God’s Word and to do what it says may not shout quite so loudly. We may not notice the consequences of neglect right away, but over time it may give way to a spiritual heart attack.

I’m thankful God has given us His Word. We need His help not to neglect it, but to use it to align our hearts with His every day.

— Poh Fang Chia

Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand,
And grant me this, I pray:
That I through Your sweet love may grow
More like You day by day. —Garrison

To keep spiritually fit, consult the Great Physician. 

ODJ: eileen and esther

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May 6, 2014 

READ: Esther 4:1-17 

Perhaps you were made . . . for just such a time as this? (v.14).

Nine year old Eileen approached a pack of older boys in a schoolyard. They were beating an autistic student who was lying on the ground curled up in the foetal position. She asked the bullies to stop hurting the other student. The boys did stop, but only to push Eileen to the ground, where they cursed at her and stepped on her before fleeing. The local autism centre later honoured Eileen and said, “She defended this boy because of her courage.”

Eileen’s courage reminds me of Esther’s bravery. Esther was a Jew and a queen whose people faced the danger of annihilation (Esther 3:8-11). Her cousin Mordecai urged her to speak to the king to try to stop the persecution, telling her that “perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this” (4:14).

There was just one problem. The king’s court was off-limits to anyone he had not summoned. An uncalled visitor would be “doomed to die unless the king [held] out his golden sceptre” (v.11). The king hadn’t called for Esther in a month, so approaching him meant possible death. Still, Esther risked everything for her people, saying, “If I must die, I must die” (v.16).

Interestingly, Esther’s brave act came after some spiritual preparation. She asked Mordecai and her people to fast for 3 days and committed herself and her servants to the same discipline (v.16).

When God calls us to defend the disadvantaged or to speak out in favour of His goodness, we can prepare our hearts for the occasion by humbling ourselves, praying and seeking God’s face (2 Chronicles 7:14). He’s the source of true strength who prepares us for specific tasks (Psalm 59:17). Let’s follow His leading today! —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Esther 5:1-14 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Look up Psalm 59:6-10 to see how God goes before us as we face trying times. 
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Esther risked her life to defend her people. What, if anything, might be worth such a risk in your own life? How can you help the needy and powerless in your sphere of influence? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Who Gets The Credit?

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May 5, 2014 

READ: Jeremiah 9:23-26 

Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me. —Jeremiah 9:24 

Chris Langan has an IQ higher than Albert Einstein’s. Moustafa Ismail has 31-inch biceps and can lift 600 pounds. Bill Gates is estimated to be worth billions. Those who have extraordinary abilities or possessions might be tempted to think more highly of themselves than they should. But we don’t have to be wildly smart, strong, or wealthy to want to take credit for our achievements. Any size of accomplishment carries with it this question: Who will get the credit?

During a time of judgment, God spoke to the Israelites through the prophet Jeremiah. He said: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches” (Jer. 9:23). Rather, “Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me” (v.24). God wanted His people to prize Him and His excellence above anything else.

If we allow praise to inflate our self-image, we’re forgetting that “every good gift . . . comes down from the Father” (James 1:17). It’s better to give God the glory—not only because it protects our hearts from pride but also because He rightfully deserves it. He is God, the One “who does great things . . . marvelous things without number” (Job 5:9).

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action;
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word. —Whiddington

We were created to give God the glory. 

ODJ: prevention and cure

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May 5, 2014 

READ: Mark 9:43-48 

If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out (v.47).

A Christian dentist in America had an attractive assistant. Fearing that he might be tempted to have an affair with her, he fired her. Later, the Supreme Court ruled that he had the legal right to fire the pretty female hygienist to protect his marriage. All of us sympathise with the young woman’s plight. Public opinion for what the dentist had done, however, was divided. Many criticised him for selfishly and unfairly punishing the nurse because of his own sexual lust. Others commended him for honestly recognising his own weakness and taking decisive action to prevent sinning against God.

Prevention is better than cure. Jesus would readily agree. We can’t entertain temptation. We must walk away from it. In fact, Jesus commands a far more radical solution: “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. . . . If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell” (Mark 9:43-47).

In these startling words Jesus was using hyperbole to warn that sin is a very destructive force. It’s something to be “put to death” immediately and decisively (Colossians 3:5). In our struggle against sin, we’re to be radically disciplined. Half-heartedness and halfway measures simply won’t do (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Destroying our hands or eyes won’t remove sin, for it comes from deep within our hearts (Mark 7:20-23). Only Jesus’ atoning blood can remove it and change our nature (Hebrews 9:14). We need a spiritual heart transplant, not a surgical procedure to remove an appendage (Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Colossians 2:11-14). We need the sanctifying and transforming work that only the Holy Spirit can do (Romans 2:28-29). —K.T. Sim

365-day plan› Esther 4:1-17

MORE
Read 1 Corinthians 6:18 and note what Paul said to do in your efforts to resist sexual sin.  
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From what sin do you need to flee? How can the Holy Spirit help you in your struggle?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Tears Of Gratitude

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May 4, 2014 

READ: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 

You proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. —1 Corinthians 11:26 

At a communion service my wife and I attended, the congregation was invited to come forward to receive the bread and cup from one of the pastors or elders. They told each one personally of Jesus’ sacrifice for him or her. It was an especially moving experience during what can often become just routine. After we returned to our seats, I watched as others slowly and quietly filed past. It was striking to see how many had tears in their eyes. For me, and for others I talked with later, they were tears of gratitude.

The reason for tears of gratitude is seen in the reason for the communion table itself. Paul, after instructing the church at Corinth about the meaning of the memorial supper, punctuated his comments with these powerful words: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). With the elements of communion pointing directly to the cross and the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, that service was about so much more than ritual—it was about Christ. His love. His sacrifice. His cross. For us.

How inadequate words are to convey the extraordinary worth of Christ! Sometimes tears of gratitude speak what words can’t fully express.

— Bill Crowder

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all. —Watts

The love Christ showed for us on the cross is greater than words could ever express. 

ODJ: happy endings

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May 4, 2014 

READ: 1 Corinthians 15:12-58 

In fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died (v.20).

The 1995 film Apollo 13 contains two famous radio transmissions:

The first: “Houston, we have a problem.”

And then:

“Hello, Houston . . . this is Odyssey. It’s good to see you again.”

Together, these two messages form the bookends to the real life drama of NASA’s struggle to bring three astronauts safely back to earth. An explosion crippled their spacecraft partway into their April 1970 mission to the moon.

The minutes leading up to the second of the two radio transmissions were particularly dramatic as people the world over anxiously gathered around television sets and collectively held their breath to see if the crew survived reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. Cheers and tears of joy and relief exploded across the globe when the astronauts finally returned home unharmed.

Not every story has a thrilling, happy ending like Apollo 13. But the Bible reveals that those who believe in Jesus will experience one! Much as the crew of Apollo 13 endured, life as we know it can be an ordeal and it will inevitably break our hearts. Death and decay will take away our health and every person we love. But the sacrificial death and dramatic resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the happiest of endings.

This is the “happily ever after” that Paul wrote about in offering hope and comfort to those in need (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Quoting the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, Paul confidently declared the future resurrection of the dead when he wrote, “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Sometimes, all can seem lost, especially when death takes those we love. But the truth of the cross and the empty tomb emboldens us with the hope for a happy ending that is beyond description. —Jeff Olson

Esther 3:1-15 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Philippians 1:21 and consider Paul’s view of his life and future in Christ.  
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What does Jesus’ resurrection mean to you? How does the happy ending Jesus has made possible affect the way you think and live? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)