JUDGMENT DAY
Who Is This Man?
Our Lord . . . was . . . declared to be the Son of God . . . by the resurrection from the dead. —Romans 1:3-4
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign. —Lowry
Jesus’ resurrection spelled the death of death.
http://odb.org/2014/07/01/who-is-this-man/
What Time Is It?
When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son. —Galatians 4:4
Lord, in Your infinite wisdom and power, You work
behind the scenes to prepare all things for just the
right time. Teach me to wait well and to trust You
to know when the fullness of time has come.
Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work. —Marshall
http://odb.org/2013/11/24/what-time-is-it-2/
The New Normal
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. —Hebrews 4:15
Our Savior lived a perfect life, yet He also knew the pains of a broken world. He endured sorrow; He suffered agony. And He stands ready to encourage us when the dark moments of life force us to embrace a new normal.
Father, thank You that in the darkest seasons of life, You
will never abandon us. Guide us with Your never-failing
presence through both the welcome and unwelcome changes
of life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
In our desert of grief, Jesus can provide an oasis of hope.
http://odb.org/2012/08/27/the-new-normal/
Prepared For The Real Thing
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. —Luke 12:40
Sometimes when we think of being ready for Jesus’ return, we think about what we shouldn’tbe doing. But being prepared is really about purifying ourselves and becoming more and more like Him so we are pleasing to Him when He comes back for us (1 John 3:2-3). Jesus taught that being ready for His return requires living according to our Master’s will now (Luke 12:47). Will we be prepared when it’s time for the real thing?
Keep me praying, keep me trusting
Every step along life’s way!
Keep me waiting, keep me watching,
For He may return today! —Thiesen
Look for Christ’s return and you’ll live for Christ’s glory.
http://odb.org/2012/05/20/prepared-for-the-real-thing/
Glorifying God In Life And Death
his [Jesus] spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. —John 21:19
We can bring honor and glory to God as we live—and as we die.
Lord, I want to bring You and Your name praise
in my daily life till the end. May I glorify You
even in the valley of the shadow as I pass from
this life into the next. Amen.
You are one of a kind—designed to glorify God as only you can.
http://odb.org/2012/02/09/glorifying-god-in-life-and-death/
Always On Duty
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. —Hebrews 13:17
Church leaders have a big responsibility to watch over our souls, for one day they will give an account to the Lord for their work among us. Let’s bring them joy now by responding to their faithful, godly leadership with obedience and submission (Heb. 13:17).
We join our hearts and hands together
Faithful to the Lord’s command:
We hold each other to God’s standards—
All that truth and love demand. —D. De Haan
After we hear the Word of God,
we should then take up the work of God.
http://odb.org/2011/12/20/always-on-duty/
A Matter Of Perspective I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army...
A Matter Of Perspective
I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. —Exodus 14:4
When we simply cannot understand why God allows circumstances that threaten to overwhelm us, it’s good to remember that He has our good and His glory in mind. If we can say, “Father, please enable me to trust and honor You in this situation,” then we will be in concert with His perspective and plan. —David McCasland
Your words of pure, eternal truth
Shall yet unshaken stay,
When all that man has thought or planned,
Like chaff shall pass away. —Anon.
Free 4 All For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of y...
Free 4 All
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. —Ephesians 2:8
Jesus paid that price when He died on a cross on Golgotha’s hill 2,000 years ago (Rom. 3:23-25). He now offers salvation at no cost to all who simply repent and believe that Jesus has the power to forgive and save (Acts 16:31).
Each of us is needy spiritually—and only Jesus can meet that need. Have you accepted what He offers without cost at the world’s biggest “Free 4 All”? —Dave Branon
I know by faith in whom I have believed,
I know that God’s free gift I have received,
I know that He will keep me to the end,
My Savior, my Redeemer, and my Friend. —Anon.
O. B. Markers I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in fai...
O. B. Markers
I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. —Psalm 119:75
In the game of golf, out-of-bounds or O. B. markers designate when a ball has gone out of play. If a player’s ball goes out-of-bounds, a one-stroke penalty is imposed.
God has given moral boundaries in His Word for us to live within. He gave them not to frustrate us but so that by keeping within them we may enjoy His blessings. David wrote: “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right” (Ps. 119:75). God told Israel through Moses, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life” (Deut. 30:19).
Don’t test God’s boundaries and invite His correction. Make wise choices to live within His O. B. markers in His Word. —C. P. Hia
Nature Abhors A Vacuum Be filled with all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3...
Nature Abhors A Vacuum
Be filled with all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:19
Thinking about vacuums helps us to understand the importance of what Paul was saying to the Ephesians when he prayed that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith and that they would “know the love of Christ . . . that [they] may be filled with all the fullness of God” (3:19).
The only permanent solution to the problem of sin in our lives is to replace it with the love of Jesus, which fills the vacuum. The more we are filled with His love, the less room there is for any evil thing. —Julie Ackerman Link
Rising Above Clouds of Discouragement Words of Encouragement from Billy ...
Rising Above Clouds of Discouragement
Words of Encouragement from Billy Graham
Many times I have sat on the front porch and watched the clouds below. I have thought of the clouds of discouragement and suffering that temporarily veil the sunlight of God’s love. You may have a cloud hanging over your life. You may be in a hospital bed or you may be suffering discouragement and bereavement.
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=1094&BA=2237&QR=116
The True Owner It’s easy to take for granted all the material and spiritual...
The True Owner
It’s easy to take for granted all the material and spiritual blessings that God has given us. That’s why we need to stop and remember that Scripture says the true owner of all we possess is God: “All that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all” (1 Chron. 29:11). Even our bodies do not belong to us: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
As 1 Timothy 6:17 reminds us: “God . . . gives us richly all things to enjoy.” We are so abundantly blessed with good things! Let’s never take our Father for granted, but use wisely and gratefully all that He has given us.
How to Be Sure of Your Salvation After I said I was writing a book about how...
How to Be Sure of Your Salvation
After I said I was writing a book about how we can be sure we are going to heaven, she marveled, "You mean you can know that you are going to heaven?"
Realizing God had opened a door for me to tell her about Christ, I reinforced that we can know for certain our eternal destiny, saying, "We can afford to be wrong about going to Sisters, Oregon, but not about going to heaven."
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6190&BA=2069&QR=116