Entries by YMI

ODJ: heart decisions

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April 22, 2014 

READ: 2 Timothy 2:1-13 

Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them (v.4).

A young woman wrote: “I’ve fallen in love with an unbeliever, but I know it’s wrong. What should I do?” One of our authors posted her question and his answer on the ODJ website.

Three months later, the young woman made a comment in the same post. She said that even though unbelieving family and friends condemned her for not marrying the young man, she chose to break up with him due to her love for Jesus. She described the persecution she’d endured, but also the joy in doing what pleased God. Then—get this—she wrote that the young man had recently become a believer! She closed by writing, “Let us come to God with a pure heart, willing to obey.”

The apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, instructing him in what it takes to have a “pure heart” and to “keep [himself] pure” (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:21). Paul knew that the heart decisions that led to purity before God were hard ones. Yet he implored Timothy to realise that “soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them” (v.4). In other words, doing what’s contrary to God’s commands (including marrying an unbeliever) is disobedience and sin that breaks God’s heart and leads to personal heartache.

Paul called Timothy to make heart decisions that might lead to suffering, but would also “bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus” (v.10). For if we “endure hardship, we will reign with [God]. If we deny him, he will deny us” (vv.12-13).

The young woman who wrote to ODJ made the hard decision. The result? A young man has now received Jesus as his Saviour. May we follow her example in all our heart decisions. —Tom Felten

1 Kings 22:29-40 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Philippians 1:12-14 and see the results of Paul’s choice to live for Jesus despite the persecution he faced. 
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What heart decisions have you been wrestling with? How do Paul’s words and actions give you hope as you seek to live a pure life for Jesus?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Victory Over Death!

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April 21, 2014 

READ: John 5:24-30 

The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. —John 5:28-29 

An ancient painting I saw recently made a deep impression on me. Its title, Anastasis, means “resurrection,” and it depicts the triumph of Christ’s victory over death in a stunning way. The Lord Jesus, newly emerged from the tomb, is pulling Adam and Eve out of their coffins to eternal life. What is so amazing about this artwork is the way it shows how spiritual and physical death, the result of the fall, were dramatically reversed by the risen Christ.

Prior to His death on the cross, the Lord Jesus predicted a future day when He will call believers into a new and glorified existence: “The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28-29).

Because of Christ’s victory over death, the grave is not final. We naturally will feel sorrow and grief when those we love die and we are separated from them in this life. But the believer does not grieve as one who has no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). The witness of Jesus’ resurrection is that all Christians will one day be taken from their graves to be clothed with glorified resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15:42-44). And so “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).

— Dennis Fisher

Dear Lord, thank You for sacrificing Your life for our
sins so that we might live. We’re thankful that
because You died and rose again, we can have
assurance that one day we’ll be with You in a place of no more death.

Because Christ is alive, we too shall live. 

ODJ: be patient

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April 21, 2014 

READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 

Be patient with everyone (v.14).

If you had the opportunity to handpick the members of your local church or small group, would you choose people who always . . .

• fail to do what they’re supposed to do?

• give you 10 reasons why your ideas won’t work?

• find it hard to consistently do God’s will?

I’m guessing you answered no to each one of those questions. Like you, I’d like to be among ideal people. But that’s not realistic.

At first glance, the church in Thessalonica seemed like an ideal church. The people in the church were a model of “faithful work”, “loving deeds” and “enduring hope” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). But we read that the church also contained people who were lazy, timid, weak and wearisome (5:14).

The apostle Paul told his readers, in essence, “Brothers and sisters, we urge you to get involved in the lives of these ‘less than ideal’ people.”

“Warn those who are lazy.” The word translated “warn” is an exceedingly strong Greek word that literally means “put into the mind”. It means to talk sense into another person during a face-to-face confrontation—a situation most of us want to avoid at all costs.

“Encourage those who are timid.” The word translated “timid” literally means “small-souled”. They fear failure. They lack boldness. These people need someone to come alongside and pour courage into them.

“Take tender care of those who are weak.” The words translated “take tender care” mean to hold firmly, to support, to build them up.

Linus from the Peanuts comic strip once explained: “I love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand!” It’s easy to feel that way and that’s why we need a great deal of patience. May God help us as we strive patiently to love people well.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan› 1 Kings 21:1-29

MORE
Read Galatians 5:22 and consider what God is doing in us as we exhibit patience. 
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What situations try your patience the most? How can God’s patience with you inspire you to be patient with others? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Easter Every Day

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April 20, 2014 

READ: Hebrews 10:11-18 

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. —Matthew 28:6 

A friend of mine, who is a preschool teacher, overheard an animated conversation among her students. Little Maria threw out the question: “Who loves God?” All of them responded, “I do! I do! I do!” Billy said, “I love Jesus.” Kelly protested, “But He died.” Billy said, “Yeah, but every Easter He rises from the dead!”

Obviously, young Billy’s understanding of the meaning of Easter is still developing. We know that Jesus died once for all (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 10:12) and, of course, rose from the dead once. Three days after paying the penalty of our sins on the cross, the sinless Jesus conquered death by rising from the grave and breaking the power of sin. It was this final sacrifice of blood that opened the only way for us to have a relationship with God now and a home with Him forevermore.

“Christ died for our sins, . . . He was buried, and . . . He rose again the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). He has promised that He is preparing a place for us (John 14:1-4), and He will someday return. One day we will be with our risen Savior.

That’s why every year at Eastertime—in fact, every day of the year—we have reason to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps. 34:1).

— Cindy Hess Kasper

Christ’s resurrection is cause for our celebration. 

ODJ: one morning

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April 20, 2014 

READ: Acts 3:11-26 

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact! (v.15).

There aren’t many days that noticeably change the world. In my lifetime I would count 9/11, the fall of the Berlin Wall and perhaps a few more. Even so, today we conduct our business much as we did before those events.

One morning did change everything—forever. The disciples were young and perhaps naïve enough to believe that the itinerant teacher from Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah. They followed their Lord as He crisscrossed Judea, drawing large crowds who hung on His words and were mesmerised by His miracles. They could hardly believe that they, a rough band of misfits and fishermen, had been chosen to lead the revolution.

Then one afternoon the dream died. Just when victory was within their grasp, the whole plan was sabotaged from the inside. Jesus seemed to be caught off-guard by Judas’ betrayal and He went down without a fight. As the crowd taunted Him to prove He was a king, Jesus cried out in despair to the Father He had claimed was always with Him (Matthew 27:46).

The disciples were devastated. How could they have been such fools? They were ashamed and afraid, for the authorities would be searching for them next. They hid for most of 2 days, entirely clueless about what to do, when they heard the remarkable news that Jesus was alive! (28:8).

The disciples were dumbstruck with joy and they quickly learned to use that resurrection morning to reinterpret the history of the world. As Peter explained to the marvelling crowd, the suffering that Jesus endured was precisely what “the prophets had foretold about the Messiah” (Acts 3:18). Jesus had delivered His people and in a bigger way than anyone could have imagined.

One morning changed the world. Has it changed yours? —Mike Wittmer

1 Kings 19:1-21 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Isaiah 53 and consider how the disciples could have missed what became so clear after Jesus’ resurrection. 
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Jesus’ life wasn’t properly understood until after His resurrection. What does your future resurrection say about the meaning of your life now? How has your life changed because of Jesus’ resurrection? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Spotlight

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April 19, 2014 

READ: Romans 5:1-11 

We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 5:11 

I’ll never forget the Easter Sunday in 1993 when Bernhard Langer won the Masters golf tournament. As he stepped off the 18th green to receive the green jacket—one of golf’s most coveted prizes—a reporter said, “This must be the greatest day of your life!” Without missing a beat, Langer replied: “It’s wonderful to win the greatest tournament in the world, but it means more to win on Easter Sunday—to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord and Savior.”

Langer had an opportunity to boast about himself, but instead he turned the spotlight on Jesus Christ. It’s exactly what Paul was talking about when he said, “We also rejoice [boast] in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Rom. 5:11).

It’s easy to look for ways to draw attention to our own accomplishments, making mental lists of things that are “cool” about ourselves. Even Paul admitted that he had a lot to brag about—but he considered all of it “rubbish” for the sake of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). We would do well to follow his example.

So, if you really want something to boast about, boast about Jesus and what He’s done for you. Look for opportunities to turn the spotlight on Him.

— Joe Stowell

Naught have I gotten but what I received,
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded, pride I abase—
I’m only a sinner saved by grace! —Gray

You can’t boast in Jesus while you’re preoccupied with yourself. 

ODJ: carrying your cross

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April 19, 2014 

READ: Luke 9:23-26 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily and follow me (v.23).

My wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2012. I shared with a friend about the challenges this situation had posed for me. As we talked, he gently told me that this is the cross I have to carry. “Carrying your cross” means living with sickness or a child with a disability, or financial problems or any difficult circumstance of life. But when Jesus tells us to carry our own crosses, is He referring to life’s burdens?

Jesus laid down three conditions for discipleship: “You must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). A believer in Jesus “must turn from [his] selfish ways” or “must deny himself” (NIV), saying no to self-will, self-centredness, self-interest, self-sufficiency, self-dependence, self-ambition and self-exaltation. To deny yourself is to die to self.

The cross was an instrument of death. A condemned man carrying his cross towards his execution lost interest in the things of this world. To “take up your cross daily” is to die to sin. It’s a call to reprioritise your life.

There’s also a personal aspect to the demand: “Follow me.” Jesus told us to obey His commands, but He also said to follow Him. Following Jesus means walking closely after Him, going where He goes, doing what He does. It means making His will your will, not creating your own path, but putting your feet into the footprints of Jesus. And His footprints will lead you up Calvary’s hill.

You may profess to be a Christian, but if you don’t carry your own cross and follow Jesus, you’re not His disciple (14:27). A believer in Jesus must reject self, die to sin and pursue the Saviour! —K.T. Sim

365-day plan› 1 Kings 18:16-46

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Read Luke 9:57-62, 14:25-27 to see what else Jesus said about following Him. 
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How closely are you following Jesus? What must you do to follow Him better? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: I’m Alive

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April 18, 2014 

READ: Ephesians 2:1-10 

You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. —Ephesians 2:1 

Laura Brooks, a 52-year-old mother of two, didn’t know it but she was one of 14,000 people in 2011 whose name was incorrectly entered into the government database as dead. She wondered what was wrong when she stopped receiving disability checks, and her loan payments and her rent checks bounced. She went to the bank to clear up the issue, but the representative told her that her accounts had been closed because she was dead! Obviously, they were mistaken.

The apostle Paul was not mistaken when he said that the Ephesian believers were at one point dead—spiritually dead. They were dead in the sense that they were separated from God, enslaved to sin (Eph. 2:5), and condemned under the wrath of God. What a state of hopelessness!

Yet God in His goodness took action to reverse this condition for them and for us. The living God “who gives life to the dead” (Rom. 4:17) poured out His rich mercy and great love by sending His Son Jesus to this earth. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are made alive (Eph. 2:4-5).

When we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we go from death to life. Now we live to rejoice in His goodness!

— Marvin Williams

I know I’m a sinner and Christ is my need;
His death is my ransom, no merit I plead.
His work is sufficient, on Him I believe;
I have life eternal when Him I receive. —Anon.

Accepting Jesus’ death gives me life. 

ODJ: an innocent man

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April 18, 2014 

READ: Luke 23:26-49 

When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshipped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent” (v.47).

On 15 April 1865, family, doctors and government officials crowded around the bedside of American President Abraham Lincoln. He was unconscious and close to death from an assassin’s fatal bullet.

After Lincoln took his last breath, those keeping vigil stood in silence. Shock and sadness left them speechless. After several minutes, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton reportedly broke the silence with these famous words, “Now he belongs to the ages.”

The gospel of Mark records that after Jesus cried out to His heavenly Father and breathed His last, the Roman officer (who was in charge of overseeing the execution) was so moved by all he witnessed that he declared, “Surely this man was innocent” (Luke 23:47).

Unlike Lincoln’s death, it wasn’t just the fact that Jesus died that deeply touched the officer. It was watching how He died.

Jesus didn’t retaliate against His executioners. He didn’t hurl insults back at the Jewish leaders who scoffed at Him or at the passersby who shook their fists at Him (Mark 15:29). He didn’t respond in kind to the soldiers who mocked Him or gambled for His clothing (Luke 23:34). He didn’t fight evil for evil. Instead, Jesus quietly endured their relentless abuse. And when He did speak, He blessed and prayed for those who persecuted Him—“Father, forgive them” (v.34). He even showed mercy and reassured the repentant criminal who was executed next to Him (vv.40-43).

No wonder this Roman officer was moved to say what he did!

The way Jesus died reflects the way He lived. And He calls us to live (and possibly die) in the same way, working for and anticipating that day when He will return and once and for all put everything right. —Jeff Olson
1 Kings 17:1-24 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Mark 15:39 and consider some additional words from the Roman officer. 
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What touches you the most about the way Jesus died? How does His selfless sacrifice affect the way you serve Him and others? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)