Entries by YMI

ODB: “And It Was Night”

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March 28, 2013 

READ: John 13:21-30 

Having received the piece of bread, [Judas] then went out immediately. And it was night. —John 13:30 

During a business trip to Philadelphia, I attended an evening service on the Thursday before Easter—a service of Communion and Tenebrae (darkness) held in a small chapel lit by candles. Following the bread and the cup, a passage was read aloud from the gospel of John, one candle was extinguished, and we sang a verse from a hymn about Jesus’ journey to the cross. This was repeated 14 times until the chapel was completely dark. In silence we knelt in prayer and then left one by one without speaking.

The darkness of this type of service can remind us of the dark elements surrounding Jesus’ death. Think of His last meal with the disciples (John 13:21-30) as He explained that one of them would betray Him. Only Jesus knew it was Judas. “Having received the piece of bread, [Judas] then went out immediately. And it was night” (v.30).

On the darkest evening of Jesus’ life, He agonized in prayer in the Garden, faced a wrongful arrest, endured humiliation at the hands of religious leaders, and winced at Peter’s denials. Yet He moved faithfully toward the cross where He would die for our sins.

Jesus endured darkness and death to give us light and life. Praise Him for what He went through for us!

— David C. McCasland

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? —Watts

Calvary reveals the vileness of our sin
and the vastness of God’s love. 

ODJ: exercised


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March 28, 2013 

READ: Romans 7:14-25 


I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway (v.19).


On all fours with the grass pressing into my hands and knees, I was already backing out of my goal. I had recently enlisted the help of a friend to improve my muscle strength and endurance. On this particular night, we were at a local park doing athletic and aerobic exercises. While my legs were completing the lifting exercises to strengthen my muscles, my mind desperately looked for a way out of having to run the last lap of our workout. I was convinced I had nothing left.


John 14:27 reminds us that when it comes to the battleground of the mind, Christ promises us a peace that doesn’t come from this world’s arena. In the midst of temptation, though, we may find ourselves in heated negotiations with thoughts that threaten to derail our spiritual perspective. Paul highlighted this very tension in Romans 8:6, which says, “Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” While the Christian walk is one founded in faith, God engages our minds as well as our hearts (Hebrews 10:16).


In the battle between flesh and spirit (Romans 7:22-25), self-help strategies and logical arguments fail to move spiritual strongholds. Likewise an attempt to avoid a confrontation with the enemy through compromise will only bring us into further bondage.

Miraculous to be sure, victory arrives when we follow God’s process. Our desperate call to God in our struggles and our choice to obey (Psalm 119:169-170,173), one decision at a time, bring us to the place of authority where we can then take down the “rebellious thoughts” (2 Corinthians 10:5) that stand contrary to the work Christ accomplished on the cross. Like physical exercise, it’s not a one off process but rather a practice for life. —Regina Franklin


MORE
Read Colossians 4:2 and 2 Timothy 4:5-8 to see the importance of training our minds based on the truth of the Word, not only in thought but in action as well. 
NEXT
Why is the mind such a powerful tool in the fight for righteousness? How can you gain victory in your mind?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Out Of Context

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March 27, 2013 

READ: Luke 4:1-13 

Your Word is truth. —John 17:17 

When a friend started making random despairing statements, people were concerned for him and started giving advice and offering encouragement. As it turned out, he was simply having fun by quoting song lyrics out of context to start a conversation. Friends who tried to help wasted their time by offering help he didn’t need and advice he didn’t want. The consequences of my friend’s misleading statements were not serious, but they could have been. In taking time to respond to his false need, someone could have neglected someone else’s truly serious need.

Some people who take words out of context just want to gain attention or win an argument. But others are more sinister. They twist truth to gain power over others. They endanger not only lives but also souls.

When people use words to manipulate others to behave in certain ways—or worse, when they quote the Bible out of context to convince others to do wrong—there’s only one defense: We need to know what God truly says in His Word. Jesus was able to resist temptation with the truth (Luke 4). We have the same resource. God has given us His Word and Spirit to guide us and keep us from being deceived or misled.

— Julie Ackerman Link

Your words of pure, eternal truth
Shall yet unshaken stay,
When all that man has thought or planned
Like chaff shall pass away. —Anon.

If we hold on to God’s truth,
we won’t be trapped by Satan’s lies. 

ODJ: why the Bible matters


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March 27, 2013 

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13 


When you received His message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very Word of God (v.13).


In his article Does the Bible Matter in the 21st Century? 
 author Vishal Mangalwadi lifts up the inestimable 
 worth of God’s Word. He also notes that bad things happen when a country chooses to ignore the Bible’s wisdom. He writes, “[America] was built by an ethic—a spirituality that taught citizens to work, earn, save, invest and use their wealth to serve their neighbours. This biblical ethic has been replaced by secularism’s entitlement culture that teaches people that they have a right to this, that and the other without corresponding obligations to work, save and serve.”


That statement reflects the culture in many countries around the world. The apostle Paul, however, saw the church at Thessalonica embrace a very high view of Scripture and the biblical ethic. The people “received [God’s] message” and “accepted what we said as the very Word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). By doing so, they were choosing “to please God, not people” (v.4).


To embrace a high view of Scripture today means that you’ll be swimming upstream in a culture that doesn’t believe in it. You’ll have to accept that human praise will not be coming your way (v.6). But as you live out what God’s Word teaches and commands, you’ll be leading a life “that God would consider worthy” (v.12).

The Bible matters, for it’s the foundation of a life that glorifies God and possesses the life changing wisdom we need. Paul writes, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).


That’s why the Bible matters. —Tom Felten


MORE
Read Revelation 3:8 and see what Jesus lifts up as the good things the church in Philadelphia had been doing.
 
NEXT
What would your friends and family say about how much the Bible matters to you? In what ways can you use God’s Word to positively impact your culture? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Our Father’s World

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March 26, 2013 

READ: Genesis 1:26-28 

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. —Psalm 24:1 

When Amanda Benavides was a sophomore at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, she began to rethink her views on Christian stewardship of the earth. Amanda had grown up thinking that being conscious of the environment had nothing to do with her relationship with Jesus. All this changed when she was challenged to consider the Christian’s role in caring for the planet—especially how that relates to reaching the most needy in the world.

Our stewardship of the beautiful world God gave us, and our care for the people in it, express our reverence for God and is grounded in two biblical principles.

First, the earth belongs to God (Ps. 24:1-2). The psalmist praised the Lord for His creation and His ownership of it. The heavens, the earth, and all that are in it are His. He created it, He is sovereign over it (93:1-2), and He cares for it (Matt. 6:26-30). Second, God delegated the responsibility for the well-being of His earth to us (Gen. 1:26-28). This includes appreciation of and care for both nature (Lev. 25:2-5,11; Prov. 12:10) and people (Rom. 15:2).

This is our Father’s world. Let’s show Him how much we love Him by respecting it and caring for the people who populate it.

— Marvin Williams

The natural world that God has made
Must not be used at whim;
We serve as stewards of His earth,
Responsible to Him. —D. DeHaan

To mistreat God’s creation is to offend the Creator. 

ODJ: rescued from darkness


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March 26, 2013 

READ: Colossians 2:6-15 


In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the cross (v.15).


In Clint Eastwood’s movie Gran Torino, Walt Kowalski is a cranky Korean War vet disgusted by the gangs now running his community. He gets to know Thao, a teenager living next door, after catching him trying to steal his Gran Torino car—an act forced onto the young man by a local gang.

Thao had no future due to the gangs. Either they would coax him into joining them or destroy him for resisting. So Walt decided to deal with them himself, beating one of the gang leaders to a pulp. The strategy backfired, for Thao’s sister was brutally raped in a retaliatory attack.

After deep reflection, Walt realised another approach was needed. Walt walked to the gang’s house one evening. The thugs aimed their guns at him as he slowly reached into his coat. And then Walt ripped his hand from his jacket—prompting a shower of gunfire from the gang members. His body was riddled with bullets as he fell to the ground. And there he lay, his arms outstretched in a cross-like fashion, with a cigarette lighter in his hand rather than a gun. The police arrived and the gang was arrested. Thao was saved from their tyranny.


Gran Torino vividly portrays one aspect of the cross. Like Thao, we were at the mercy of evil forces (Ephesians 6:12). But when Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, those powers were disarmed and arrested—releasing us from their grip (Colossians 1:13, 2:15). Jesus didn’t free us by retaliating against evil, but by submitting to it in our place—and then rising in triumph “from the dead” (Acts 3:15).


Walt Kowalski was no Christ figure. He was an aggressive, vulgar racist who needed his own redemption from guilt. But Walt’s act reflects what the sinless Jesus did for us on the cross—rescuing us from the dominion of darkness.
 —Sheridan Voysey


› 1 Samuel 16:1-13

MORE
Read Matthew 12:29 for another picture of Jesus’ victory, and Ephesians 6:10-18 to see how we can defeat Satan’s strategies. 
NEXT
From what evil ‘powers’ do we need Jesus’ 
rescue today? How 
have you submitted to Jesus’ power? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Too Heavy

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March 25, 2013 

READ: Psalm 32:1-6; Matthew 11:28-30 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. —Matthew 11:28 

As I started up my car in the dark hours of early morning, I noticed a seatbelt light on the dashboard. I checked my door, opening and pulling it shut again. I tugged on my seatbelt to test it. But the sensor light still beamed. Then, in slow realization, I reached over and lifted my purse a few inches above the passenger seat. The light clicked off.

Apparently, a cell phone, three rolls of quarters, a hardcover book, and my lunch stuffed in my very large purse had equaled the weight of a small passenger, thus setting off the sensor!

While I can easily empty out a handbag, other weights are not so easy to shed. Those burdens of life involve a heaviness of spirit.

Whether the burden that weighs us down is one of guilt such as the one that consumed David’s thoughts (Ps. 32:1-6), the fear Peter experienced (Matt. 26:20-35), or the doubt Thomas carried (John 20:24-29), Jesus has invited us to bring them all to Him: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

We are not built to bear burdens alone. When we cast them on the One who wants to bear our burdens (Ps. 68:19; 1 Peter 5:7), He replaces them with forgiveness, healing, and restoration. No burden is too heavy for Him.

— Cindy Hess Kasper

Lord, thank You for lovingly carrying our burdens.
In times of trouble, help us to leave those burdens
in Your strong hands and to find our rest in You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Burden God with what burdens you. 

ODJ: zero hero


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March 25, 2013 

READ: Judges 3:1-11 


The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge (v.10).


Birds of a feather flock together.” I’m not sure about that famous phrase. For throughout my student years I hung out with bright and beautiful people. But I don’t think I’m either. In fact I’ve often thought: if I could be as talented or as charming as so-and-so, I would be able to draw so many people to Jesus.

When we read the book of Judges, it’s like reading a Marvel comic book of superheroes. We find people like Samson the strong man and Deborah the prophetess. In the line of judges (or deliverers), however, is a hero with near-zero information. His name is Othniel.

When we read his account in Judges 3:1-11, it’s written in a cut and dried reporting style. No drama. No display of prowess.

Bible teacher Paul Baxendale comments: “There is nothing but the bare essentials in his account. Hardly anything about Othniel. What you do have is what the Lord has done and what the Lord is doing. The Othniel account helps us to see what is most important—the activity of God. Interesting folk can sometimes obscure that. We end up concentrating on these fascinating characters and we fail to see what the Lord is doing.”


Similarly we must recognise that there is no such thing as a strong Christian—only submissive ones in whose lives God reveals His strength. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we read, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

When others look at our life it’s more important that they see God and praise Him rather than us. Let our prayer be: “May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour, so that all may see that I triumph only through Your power.” —Poh Fang Chia


1 Samuel 14:1-23 ‹

MORE
Read 2 Corinthians 12:9 and note what Paul said about true weakness and true power.
 
NEXT
How does God’s view of weakness differ from the world’s? In what ways is your life a reflection of what God is doing? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Let It Go

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March 24, 2013 

READ: Mark 11:1-11 

Say, “The Lord has need of it,” and immediately he will send it here. —Mark 11:3 

Many years ago, when a young friend asked if he could borrow our car, my wife and I were hesitant at first. It was our car. We owned it, and we depended on it. But we soon felt convicted to share it with him because we knew that God wanted us to care for others. So we handed the keys over to him, and he traveled to a church 30 miles away to conduct a youth rally. The meeting was used by the Lord to bring teens to Christ.

Jesus instructed His disciples to take another man’s donkey. The Son of God told His men to “loose it and bring it” to Him (Mark 11:2). If someone objected, they were to say, “The Lord has need of it,” and they would then be permitted to lead it away. That donkey carried Christ into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.

There’s a lesson here for us to consider. We all have things that we hold dear. We may have thought, I could never part with that. It may be a new truck, a coat, some other possession, or our precious few free hours during the week. Will we be open to give when someone obviously needs something we have?

If you sense that the Spirit is speaking to you, let your time or possession go, as the owner released his animal to Jesus. He will then be glorified as He deserves!

— David C. Egner

Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today. —Smyth

God gives us all we need,
so we can give to others in their need.