THE END TIMES
Make It Attractive
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. —Colossians 4:5
Dear God, You have given us so much by providing
our salvation. Help us to make the gospel
attractive to others by the way we shine
Jesus’ light on those we encounter each day.
The beauty of a changed life can attract others to the One who makes us beautiful.
http://odb.org/2014/06/28/make-it-attractive/
Out Of Chaos
Speak evil of no one, . . . be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. —Titus 3:2
Father, our world and our lives do have much chaos
and confusion. We need You to restore our souls.
Help us to live as You want us to live—
loving others.
When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.
http://odb.org/2014/03/26/out-of-chaos/
All Spruced Up
[Jesus] is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless. —Jude 1:24
Lord, thank You for the blessing of being clothed
in Your beautiful righteousness and the promise
that You will keep me from stumbling and present
me faultless before Your Father and my God!
To reflect the presence of the Father, we must rely on the Son.
http://odb.org/2014/01/18/all-spruced-up/
Mixed Emotions
Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief. —Proverbs 14:13
Peace! peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above,
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love. —Cornell
For the Christian, the dark sorrows of earth will one day be changed into the bright songs of heaven.
http://odb.org/2013/12/30/mixed-emotions/
Integrity League
He who walks with integrity walks securely. —Proverbs 10:9
Dear Father, help my word be true. Help my
actions be honest. Help my life to
reflect Your holiness and shine God’s light
for all to see. Help me to live with integrity.
Integrity is Christlike character in workclothes.
http://odb.org/2013/12/02/integrity-league/
The Devil In Court
I have removed your iniquity from you. —Zechariah 3:4
Only God can make a sinner acceptable to Him. And the New Testament tells us how: “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
Do you feel unworthy to enter the presence of God? Remember, as Christians, our Savior’s blood has cleansed us, and Christ Himself represents us.
The power of God can turn a heart From evil and the power of sin; The love of God can change a life And make it new and cleansed within. —Fasick
Justification means our guilt gone, Christ’s righteousness given
http://odb.org/2012/02/26/the-devil-in-court/
Actions And Results
If by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. —Romans 5:15
Christ did what no one else could do when He broke the power of sin and death by His resurrection. He offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who will accept His gift. And for that, we thank Him with all our hearts.
When Adam sinned, death spread to all—
One act condemned the human race—
But Jesus’ death upon the cross
Provides mankind God’s saving grace. —Sper
The cross of Christ can cure the condemnation of Adam’s choice.
http://odb.org/2011/11/30/actions-and-results/
Are You Ready? The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. —2 Peter 3:9 P...
Are You Ready?
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. —2 Peter 3:9
Paul tells us that Christians ought to live “soberly, righteously, and godly” in the light of Christ’s certain return. (Titus 2:12). Are you ready to meet Him? —C. P. Hia
Faithful and true would He find us here
If He should come today?
Watching in gladness and not in fear,
If He should come today? —Morris
Jesus may come any time, so we should be ready all the time.
Seasons Of Ups And Downs A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mour...
Seasons Of Ups And Downs
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:4
We do a disservice to ourselves and others when we portray the Christian life as peaceful and happy all the time. Instead, the Bible portrays the believer’s life as consisting of seasons of ups and downs. In what season are you? Whether a time of joy or sadness, each season should motivate us to seek the Lord and trust Him. —Dennis Fisher
Dear Lord, help us to turn to You not only in sadness
but also in joy. We know You give us both good times
and bad to draw us to You and help us grow.
May we learn to trust You in all seasons of life. Amen.
Every season needs faith to get us through it.
An Obstacle Inventory Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resol...
An Obstacle Inventory
Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. —Romans 14:13
So, replace your faults with the winsome ways of Jesus. That will enable others to see your “no-fault” Savior more clearly. —Joe Stowell
Wherever I am, whatever I do,
O God, please help me to live
In a way that makes me credible
As your representative. —Egner
A New Purpose
We too may experience circumstances that change the course of our lives
Throw The Book At Him
If we never faced the tempter
With his sharp and fiery sting,
We would never know the victory
That our trust in God can bring
Wearing Yourself Out
Father, we need help with our priorities.
Teach us to understand what’s most important and
needs to be accomplished, and to let go of what we can
so that we are at our best for You. Amen.
Master Craftsman
The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter. —Jeremiah 18:4
No matter what messes we have made of our lives, God can remold us into vessels that are good in His eyes. As we confess any sin and submit ourselves in obedience to His Word, we allow the Master to do His redemptive work in our lives (2 Tim. 2:21). That is the only way for the pieces of our brokenness to be made whole and good once again. —Bill Crowder
Is God Obligated?
Amend your ways and your doings. —Jeremiah 7:3
Just because we’re reading the Bible, praying, and fellowshiping with other believers doesn’t mean that God is somehow then obligated to do something for us. He cannot be manipulated. The purpose of those external activities is to develop our relationship with the Lord and to help us live differently than those in the world around us. —C. P. Hia
Lord, help me to remember that You are most
interested in an obedient heart. Change me when I think
You’re obligated to me because of my religious acts of
worship or service. Give me a pure heart. Amen.
Do It Yourself
[Jesus] answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” —Mark 6:37
What we need is faith and vision—the ability to see that God wants us to be His instruments, and that He will supply what we need. —Randy Kilgore
God uses us as instruments
To help someone in need,
So we must trust Him to supply
When following His lead. —Sper
“Embroidery Of Earth”
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree. —Isaiah 41:19
Scripture also reminds us that the wonder of individual plants are part of God’s work. From the rose (Isa. 35:1) to the lily (Matt. 6:28) to the myrtle, cypress, and pine (Isa. 41:19-20), God colors our world with a splendorous display of beauty. Enjoy the wonder. And spend some time praising God for the “embroidery of earth.” —Dave Branon
If God’s creation helps you see
What wonders He can do
Then trust the many promises
That He has given you. —D. De Haan
Old School I desire . . . that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel...
Old School
I desire . . . that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel. —1 Timothy 2:8-9
As we hurtle through the first part of this new century, we see an increase in people questioning time-honored standards. This was plainly detailed recently by a teen pop star—a girl who professes faith in Jesus.
Trouble Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which ...
Trouble
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. —1 Peter 4:12
Does it surprise you that trouble is a part of life? Probably not. We all know trouble close-up and personal—bad health, empty bank account, blighted love, grief, loss of job, and the list goes on.
It shouldn’t surprise us, therefore, that God permits the added trials of being ridiculed and hated because we follow Christ (1 Peter 4:12). But trouble, whether it is common to man or unique to Christians, can reveal to us the moral fiber of our soul.
Let’s not think it strange when trouble comes, for God is using it to test the stamina of our souls. The best way to handle trouble is to commit our “souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (v.19). —Dennis De Haan