Faith

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Tag Archive for: faith

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: imagine

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In 1971 John Lennon wrote a song about heaven and hell. The British public voted ”Imagine” their nation’s favourite song in 1999, and it earned Lennon a Grammy Hall of Fame Award that same year. The song also ranked number 3 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2004).

Lennon wrote: “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us o

ODJ: three wishes

If you were granted three wishes, what would you wish for? Would you wish for the eradication of global poverty? Would you wish for financial security? Would you wish for good looks, good health and long life? The question itself isn’t as important as how we answer the question; for our answers reveal our character and what’s important to us.

Many millennia ago, King Solomon was pla

ODJ: sculpting a stump

One morning I noticed a man with a chainsaw cutting down a large tree in front of some local farm buildings. He was still there in the afternoon, working on the tree stump with his power tool set at an unusual angle. Days later I passed the place again and noticed the stump had been transformed into a replica of a corncob. The man hadn’t been merely toppling a tree, he had sculpted vertical rows

ODJ: stop trying

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Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as “AA,” is a worldwide movement that attempts to helpalcoholics break free from their addiction to drinking. One of the first things AA leaders tell those who “can’t lay off the sauce” is that they have to come to the end of themselves. In order to break free from their addiction, they have to admit that they are powerless to stop—no matter how hard th

ODJ: a lot by a lot

The first 4 years my adopted Ugandan son was with me, I experienced no fears about the future or my ability to support him. Recently, however, as I’ve struggled to pay bills and survive on a small ministry salary that provides us with no disposable income, I’ve entered into a worrisome state. My fleshly desires have tilted towards greater financial security rather than the need to trust God’

ODJ: drowned by love

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One of my deep joys as a pastor has been to baptise both of my sons. I have a picture taken just before I went into the baptismal pool with one of my boys. I’m crouched down, eye to eye. I don’t remember what I was saying, but I remember the tears. God was pouring grace on my son, and my church was welcoming him into its fold.

Baptism is a visceral, physical moment. It contains myst

ODJ: we are family

We often say in the church that we’re a family, and we address each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. But what does that really mean? What implications does the word family hold?

We read in Ephesians 2:19, “You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.” Note that the word you r

ODJ: walls

Walls are designed to keep people safe. But walls also divide, keeping people apart. The 96 mile (155 km) Berlin Wall kept the East Germans in. The Great Wall of China, which was believed to be 5,500 miles long (8,850 km) and is now estimated to be 13,170 miles long(21,196 km), kept enemies out.

In 586 bc the Babylonians tore down Jerusalem’s walls and destroyed the city. Nehemiah exp