Tag Archive for: evangelism

ODJ: unwanted and unloved
A pastor and his congregation, serving in an area known for addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes, haveprayed an interesting prayer for many years: Lord, send us the people nobody else wants. That prayer has been answered, as more than 800 church attendees are now involved in recovery programmes designed to help them break free from destructive lifestyles. Recently the pastor added this phrase to th

ODB: Service And Witness
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While serving as a maid in London, England, in the early part of the 20th century, Gladys Aylward had other dreams. Her goal was to be a missionary to China. Having been rejected by a Christian missionary organization as “unqualified,” Gladys decided to go there on her own. At the age of 28, she used her life savings to purchase a one-way ticket to Yangcheng, a remote village in China. There s

ODJ: who’s seeking whom?
Zach was a lonely guy. If there was a party, he wasn’t invited. In fact, when he walked down the city streets, he could feel the hostile glares boring into his back. But his life took a turn one special day. Clement of Alexandria, one of the church fathers, says that Zach became a very prominent Christian leader and ended up a pastor of the church in Caesarea. Yes, we are talking about Zacchaeus

ODJ: hate to love
She hated anyone who believed in God. A self- proclaimed atheist, the young woman dideverything she could to destroy the faith of believers in Jesus. She would even write vulgar things on the pages of their Bibles. But then, as the Holy Spirit worked in her life and Christians continued to reach out lovingly to her, her hard heart began to melt. Soon she considered herself an “agnostic”. Then

ODB: Guarding Hearts
For years I taught adult Bible-study classes in a local church and took great pains to consider Scripture carefully before answering questions during the lessons. Later, during a lecture in my first semester of seminary at age 40, I learned that I’d given a woman who had attended one of my classes a terrible answer to her heartfelt question. I was certain my response had been causing her distres

ODJ: hiding the flame
The London 2012 Olympic Cauldron was magnificent. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the spectacular sculpture was built out of 204 copper petals representing the number of competing countries. Despite its beauty, the cauldron elicited scorn from some visitors of the Games who couldn’t view it.
Heatherwick explained that he wanted to achieve the intimacy of the 1948 Games with the cauldr
Heatherwick explained that he wanted to achieve the intimacy of the 1948 Games with the cauldr

ODJ: 40 days
Forty is a significant number in the Bible. The great flood of Genesis was the result of 40 days of rain (Genesis 7:4). Moses was with God for 40 days receiving the Law (Exodus 24:18). Spies explored the land for 40 days (Numbers 13:25). The Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years (32:13). Jonah warned of judgement in 40 days (Jonah 3:4). Jesus was tempted for 40 days as He began His ministry (Lu

ODB: A Missed Lunch
For me, food is more than a necessity—it’s a wonderfully enjoyable part of life! I enjoy sitting down to a well-prepared meal, especially when I’m feeling hungry. I imagine that the disciples were hungry for lunch when they returned to the well where Jesus was interacting with the Samaritan woman. They urged Him, “Rabbi, eat” (John 4:31). His response? “I have food to eat of which you

ODB: To Be Continued
The fifth book of the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, records the beginnings of the Christian church under the leadership of the people Jesus had appointed. Some scholars have suggested that this book could also be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit’s power supplied courage for the apostles in the face of every hardship.Just before Jesus was taken up into heaven, He
