a mighty fortress
You might know of Martin Luther as the father of the Reformation and that he translated the whole Bible into German. But what is less known is that Luther was also a composer of 37 hymns. His best-known hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” is also called “The Battle Hymn of the Reformation.” There are at least 70 different…
what's in a name?
"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” mused Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
It’s evident that Juliet was not Hebrew. For the people of ancient Israel felt that the meaning behind a person’s name was vitally important. Parents carefully chose a name based on the personality, characteristics, or character…
"omg"
With the advent of cell phones, texting, and online chat, an abbreviated form of language has emerged. Texters and chatters regularly communicate with shortcuts like “lol” (laugh out loud) or “idk” (I don’t know).
For the most part, these abbreviations are harmless. One popular shortcut, however, is truly offensive to believers in Jesus—“omg.” The most common meaning given to this…
dealing with dragons
The bumper sticker on the road-worn Saab in front of me caused me to laugh out loud.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy, and good with ketchup.
The owner of that car has a great sense of humor. But the saying presents a profound truth: Don’t tangle with those who have the potential to devour…
yielded and still
Adelaide Pollard, born in 1862 in the US, had faithfully served God for many years through her gifts of teaching and writing. Her longtime desire, however, was to be a missionary in Africa. Finally the details were worked out and she was ready to set sail. But then, unexpectedly, she was forced to cancel her plans. Not being able to…
October 15, 2009
What book have you read recently that has challenged you to live your life in a more Christlike way?
do I love?
In the 1940s, Fred Craddock began serving as a missionary to India. When World War II ended, Craddock’s church wired him funds for a steamer ticket to return home. Arriving in his port of departure on Christmas day, Craddock discovered a disturbing sight. A ship of German-Jewish refugees had been allowed to temporarily dock, and these exiles had been stuffed…
the hardest thing
In the US presidential election of 2000, Senator John McCain lost his momentum and ultimately his party’s nomination when someone spread rumors that he had fathered a bi-racial child out of wedlock. Besides its overt racism, the slander was particularly despicable because the child in question was a handicapped orphan that John and his wife Cindy had adopted from Bangladesh.…
stress in God's service
I came across this poem yesterday while working on a church session.
Specially dedicated to all of you out there who are busy in His service. :)
deep waters, dark nights
In the film The Perfect Storm, a captain and crew head out for what they hope will be an uneventful fishing expedition. In their quest for a bountiful catch, they motor far past their normal fishing location. There they find great success, but as they turn for home they encounter the horrifying combination of two powerful weather fronts and a hurricane.…
gentle answers
Feeling anger emanating from every place inside me, I reached in the drawer for a folder and slammed it on the desk. The loud noise satisfied my irritation, but only for a moment. My frustration only deepened as I realized how emotionally intense I had become. All because of my daughter’s grade school party.
Disappointed that she was going to miss…
the garden city
Singapore is a tiny tropical island of just under 640 square kilometers. Despite its soaring skyscrapers, it remains one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the world. Visitors find out quickly why Singapore is known as the Garden City of the Tropics. East Coast Parkway, the road from the airport to the city center, is sheltered by a tree…
typhoon-tested faith
The following message was received from an RBC Ministries' (the ministry that birthed ODJ) colleague who lives in the Philippines: 
"I would like to thank all of you for your prayers for us during the Typhoon Ondoy last September 26, 2009 (Saturday). Metro Manila and nearby areas were devastated by typhoon Ondoy. I didn’t expect the things that happened to…
