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Showing posts from December 30, 2018

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OUR DAILY BREAD January 6, 2019 Sunday THE GREATER GLORY Mart DeHaan In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  Luke 2:1 John 17:1–5, 20–24 Genesis 16–17; Matthew 5:27–48 Caesar Augustus is remembered as the first and greatest of the Roman emperors. By political skill and military power he eliminated his enemies, expanded the empire, and lifted Rome from the clutter of rundown neighborhoods into a city of marble statues and temples. Adoring Roman citizens referred to Augustus as the divine father and savior of the human race. As his forty-year reign came to an end, his official last words were, “I found Rome a city of clay but left it a city of marble.” According to his wife, however, his last words were actually, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit.” What Augustus didn’t know is that he’d been given a supporting role in a bigger story. In the shadow of his reign, the son of a carpenter was born...

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OUR DAILY BREAD January 5, 2019 Saturday TRANSFORMED & TRANSFORMING Ruth O'Reilly-Smith Then he restored the altar of the Lord. . . and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.  2 Chronicles 33:16 2 Chronicles 33:9–17 Genesis 13–15; Matthew 5:1–26 Tani and Modupe grew up in Nigeria and went to the UK to study in the 1970s. Having been personally transformed by God’s grace, they never imagined that they would be used to transform one of the most deprived and segregated communities in England—Anfield in Liverpool. As Drs. Tani and Modupe Omideyi faithfully sought God and served their community, God restored hope to many. They lead a vibrant church and continue to run numerous community projects that have led to the transformation of countless lives. Manasseh changed his community, first for evil and then for good. Crowned king of Judah at the age of twelve, he led his people astray and they did great evil for many years (2 Chronicles 33:1–9). They...

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OIR DAILY BREAD January 4, 2019 Friday WALKING IN THE LIGHT Lawrence Darmani In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  John 1:4 Hebrews 12:18–24 Genesis 10–12; Matthew 4 Darkness descended on our forest village when the moon disappeared. Lightning slashed the skies, followed by a rainstorm and crackling thunder. Awake and afraid, as a child I imagined all kinds of grisly monsters about to pounce on me! By daybreak, however, the sounds vanished, the sun rose, and calm returned as birds jubilated in the sunshine. The contrast between the frightening darkness of the night and the joy of the daylight was remarkably sharp. The author of Hebrews recalls the time when the Israelites had an experience at Mount Sinai so dark and stormy they hid in fear (Exodus 20:18–19). For them, God’s presence, even in His loving gift of the law, felt dark and terrifying. This was because, as sinful people, the Israelites couldn’t live up to God’s standards. Their sin caused th...

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OUR DAILY BREAD January 3, 2019 Thursday EYES TIGHTLY SHUT Kirsten Holmberg They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  Genesis 3:8 Genesis 3:1–10 Genesis 7–9; Matthew 3 He knew he shouldn’t have done it. I could clearly see he knew it was wrong: it was written all over his face! As I sat down to discuss his wrongdoing with him, my nephew quickly squeezed his eyes shut. There he sat, thinking—with three-year-old logic—that if he couldn’t see me, then I must not be able to see him. And if he was invisible to me, then he could avoid the conversation (and consequences) he anticipated. I’m so glad I  could  see him in that moment. While I couldn’t condone his actions, and we needed to talk about it, I really didn’t want anything to come between us. I wanted him to look fully into my face and see how much I love him and was eager to forgive him! In that moment, I caught a glimmer of how God might have felt when Adam and Eve broke His trust in...

ODB 2019

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OUR DAILY BREAD January 2, 2019 Wednesday It’s GOOD TO ASK John Blase Show me the way I should go.  Psalm 143:8 Psalm 143:4–11 Genesis 4–6; Matthew 2 My father has always had a directional sense I’ve envied. He’s just instinctively known where north, south, east, and west are. It’s like he was born with that sense. And he’s always been right. Until the night he wasn’t. That was the night my father got lost. He and my mother attended an event in an unfamiliar town and left after dark. He was convinced he knew the way back to the highway, but he didn’t. He got turned around, then confused, and ultimately frustrated. My mother reassured him, “I know it’s hard, but ask your phone for directions. It’s okay.” For the first time in his life that I’m aware of, my seventy-six-year-old father asked for directions. From his phone. The psalmist was a man with a wealth of life experience. But the psalms reveal moments when it appears David felt lost spiritually and emotionally. Psalm...

ODB 2019

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OUR DAILY BREAD January 1, 2019 Tuesday NEW YEAR, NEW PRIORITIES Poh Fang Chia Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.  Ecclesiastes 9:10 Ecclesiastes 9:4–12 Genesis 1–3; Matthew 1 I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I’ve never found the time to enroll in a class. Or, perhaps more accurately, I haven’t made the time for it. I had thought that in heaven I could probably master that instrument. In the meantime, I wanted to focus on using my time in the particular ways God has called me to serve Him now. Life is short, and we often feel the pressure to make the most of our time on Earth before it slips away. But what does that really mean?  As King Solomon contemplated the meaning of life, he offered two recommendations. First, we’re to live in the most meaningful way we can, which includes fully enjoying the good things God allows us to experience in life, such as food and drink (Ecclesiastes 9:7), clothing and perfume (v. 8...

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OUR DAILY BREAD December 31, 2018 Monday THE MESSENGER Amy Boucher Pye I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.  Malachi 3:1 Malachi 3:1–5 Malachi 1–4; Revelation 22 “I have a message for you!” A woman working at the conference I was attending handed me a piece of paper, and I wondered if I should be nervous or excited. But when I read, “You have a nephew!” I knew I could rejoice. Messages can bring good news, bad news, or words that challenge. In the Old Testament, God used His prophets to communicate messages of hope or judgment. But when we look closely, we see that even His words of judgment were intended to lead to repentance, healing, and restoration. Both types of messages appear in Malachi 3 when the Lord promised to send a messenger who would prepare the way for Him. John the Baptist announced the coming of the true Messenger, Jesus (see Matthew 3:11)—“the messenger of the covenant” (Malachi 3:1) who will fulfill God’s promises. But H...