New and Used Car Talk Reviews Hot Cars Comparison Automotive Community

The Largest Car Forum in the Philippines

Page 4 of 125 FirstFirst 123456781454104 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 40 of 1242
  1. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #31
    September 7, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/07/follow-the-instructions-2/

    Follow The Instructions

    Read: Matthew 7:24-29


    Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. —Matthew 7:24

    One of my boyhood hobbies was building model planes. Every time I opened a new box, the first thing I saw was the instructions, but I didn’t think I needed to follow them. In my mind I knew exactly how to put the model together. Not until I had glued a few pieces together did I realize I had skipped an important step, like putting the pilot in the cockpit.

    It’s easy to think that we have no need for instructions for our lives, only to later realize that we’ve messed things up. Which is exactly why Jesus advised that following His instructions is the way for wise people to build a safe, solid, and significant life (Matt. 7:24-29). He had just told the listening crowd to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, to forgive enemies, and to sell treasures so that they could give to the poor (5:39-44). But just getting the instructions isn’t enough. The key is to follow them. “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (7:24).

    Those who don’t follow the instructions are, as Jesus put it, “foolish” (v.26). To the world, forgiving your enemies and giving to the poor may seem like a silly way to build a life, but, take it from Jesus, it’s the wise way.

    Lord, help me heed Your every word,
    Commands that I have read or heard;
    As You reveal Your will each day,
    Help me to follow and obey.
    —Fitzhugh

    To build a rock-solid life, follow Jesus’ instructions.

  2. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #32
    September 10, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/10/lost-ones/
    Lost Ones

    Read: Luke 15:4-6

    Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! —Luke 15:6

    In my college years I worked as a guide, taking boys on treks into Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. On one occasion one of my hikers—a small, slow chap—lagged behind and took the wrong fork on a trail. When we arrived at our campsite he was nowhere to be found. I frantically went out to search for him.

    Just before dark, I came across him sitting by a small lake—utterly lost and alone. In my joy, I gave him a bear hug, hoisted him on my shoulders, and carried him down the trail to his companions.

    In a story by Scottish writer George MacDonald, he describes a young woman finding a child alone and lost in the woods. She gathered him up in her arms and carried him home to her father, at which point she gained an insight that was never to leave her: “Now she understood the heart of the Son of Man, [who came] to find and carry back the stray children to their Father and His.”

    I want you too to know the heart of Jesus, the Son of Man, who came to find and carry back His straying children to their Father, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). No matter how far you may have strayed and how lost you may be, He came to seek and to save you.

    Jesus came to seek and save the lost,
    Left heaven’s glory, minding not the cost;
    Looking high and low and far and wide,
    The Son of Man for all was crucified.
    —Hess

    To find salvation, you must admit that you’re lost.

  3. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #33
    September 12, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/12/just-another-sunday/

    Just Another Sunday?

    Read: Acts 2:41-47

    They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. —Acts 2:42

    Early on a sunny Sunday afternoon after church, I headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. A man was trimming his grass along the sidewalk, and we greeted each other with the usual “Hello, how are you?” In a negative tone, he replied, “It’s just another Sunday.” Later, I wondered what he had meant by that. Was he saying, I’m just doing my chores—going through the motions?

    Sometimes even church attendance can become a matter of merely going through the motions on just another Sunday. For the believers in the early church (Acts 2:41-47), joining with fellow believers was a source of excitement. That was when the church first started and everyone was a new believer—so they were bound to be enthusiastic. But what about us? What can we do to make each Sunday special?

    Go with the anticipation of meeting with God. While He is with us all the time (Heb. 13:5), God is with us in a unique way as we gather with others who know Him (Matt. 18:20; James 4:8). Bring your burdens and praises to Him.

    Go to learn about God. We may not learn something new every week, but we can always be encouraged by the truths of God’s Word (Ps. 119:105). Expect to hear from Him.

    Go to fellowship with others. We need each other in this Christian journey. Encourage others, challenge them in their faith, and pray for them (Heb. 10:24-25).

    Lord, give us a renewed enthusiasm of heart for attending church, so that it won’t be just another Sunday.

    If you want to be spiritually fed, go to church with a hunger for the Word.

  4. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #34
    September 13, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/13/ike%E2%80%99s-anger-problem/

    Ike’s Anger Problem

    Read: Proverbs 16:21-33

    He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. —Proverbs 16:32

    On June 6, 1944, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, was the most powerful man on earth. Under his authority, the largest amphibious army ever assembled prepared to liberate the Nazi-dominated continent of Europe. How was Eisenhower able to lead such a vast army? Part of the answer can be linked to his remarkable skill in working with different kinds of people.

    What many do not know, however, is that Ike hadn’t always gotten along with others. As a boy, he often got into fistfights at school. But fortunately he had a caring mother who instructed him in God’s Word. One time, when she was bandaging his hands after an angry outburst, she quoted Proverbs 16:32, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Years later, Eisenhower wrote, “I have always looked back on that conversation as one of the most valuable moments of my life.” Undoubtedly, by learning to control his anger, Eisenhower was able to work effectively with others.

    Inevitably, each of us will at times be tempted to lash out in anger. Yet through God’s work in our lives we can learn to control our anger. What better way to influence people than through a gentle spirit.

    Thinking It Over
    Do you struggle to control your anger?
    For help, read Moses: His Anger And What It Cost Him at www.discoveryseries.org/q0716

    He who conquers his anger conquers a strong enemy.

  5. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #35
    September 14, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/14/sparrow%E2%80%99s-flight/
    Sparrow’s Flight

    Read: Matthew 10:27-33

    Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. —Matthew 10:29


    After dinner one night, a tiny brown sparrow flew inside our house through the front door. A chase ensued. Each time my husband got near to it, the little intruder fluttered away in a desperate search for an exit. Before we could escort it safely outside, the bird toured the house so frantically that we could see its chest throbbing from its rapid heartbeat.

    Sometimes we are like that little bird—anxious, frazzled, and afraid of what might happen next. It comforts me to think that “not one [sparrow] falls to the ground” without God knowing about it (Matt. 10:29). He sees and knows everything in our world.

    “The eyes of the Lord are in every place” (Prov. 15:3), and nothing escapes His attention, including you and me. God understands and values the finest points of our being. Jesus said, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matt. 10:30).

    It’s amazing that God keeps a tally of our personal trivia and is even aware of a bird’s misfortune. Since He knows about these small details, we can trust that He sees and cares about the big issues that ruffle our feathers. When we ask Him for help, God’s response is always informed by His perfect knowledge of us and our circumstances. Let’s trust Him with our anxious concerns.

    If God sees the sparrow’s fall,
    Paints the lilies short and tall,
    Gives the skies their azure hue,
    Will He not then care for you?
    —Anon.

    His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

  6. Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    70
    #36
    bro thank you for the ODB!!God bless us!!keep the ride safe..:old::thumbup:

  7. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #37
    Quote Originally Posted by rocel View Post
    bro thank you for the ODB!!God bless us!!keep the ride safe..:old::thumbup:
    you're welcome bro...

  8. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #38
    September 16, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/16/the-wonder-of-nature/

    The Wonder Of Nature


    Read: Job 36:26-33

    I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. —Job 42:5

    Growing up around the woods and waters of Midwest America, I’ve been fascinated with natural wildlife native to our region. But on a recent trip to the California coast, I found myself staring in breathtaking wonder at snorting elephant seals, barking sea lions, and a forest of silent redwoods. I watched pelicans soar in formation, and I saw migrating whales spouting in the distance. Together they are just a sampling of the millions of species that make up the intricate and delicate balance of nature.

    According to the Bible, the variety of the natural world is designed to do far more than inspire childlike wonder. The mysteries of nature can help us come to terms with a God who allows inexpressible, unexplainable pain and suffering.

    We see this in the epic story of Job. While he was suffering, Job didn’t know that God had such a high regard for him that he allowed Satan to test his faith with a series of losses.

    What emerges is this eventual, unavoidable conclusion: A Creator who has the wisdom and power to design the wonders of nature is great enough to be trusted with pain and suffering that are beyond our ability to understand. In awe, Job proclaimed, “I know that You can do everything” (42:2). We can trust that kind of God—no matter what.

    If God’s creation helps us see
    What wonders He can do,
    Then we can trust His promises
    For they are always true.
    —D. De Haan

    It’s good to worship God in nature if it leads us to worship the God of nature
    .

  9. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #39
    September 17, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/17/different-goals/
    Different Goals

    Read: 1 Cor. 1:18-31

    God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. —1 Corinthians 1:27

    In 1945, professional golfer Byron Nelson had an unimaginable season. Of the 30 tournaments he entered, he won an amazing 18 times—including 11 in a row. Had he chosen to, he could have continued his career and perhaps become the greatest of all time. But that was not his goal. His goal was to earn enough money playing golf to buy a ranch and spend his life doing what he really loved. So, instead of continuing on at the peak of his career, Nelson retired at age 34 to become a rancher. He had different goals.

    The world may find that kind of thinking to be foolish. It doesn’t really understand the heart that looks beyond trying to gain more wealth or fame to real satisfaction and contentment. This is especially true when it comes to our choice to live for Christ. But it is in the world’s perception of our alleged foolishness that we might best represent the Master’s different goals to this world. Paul wrote, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:27).

    A commitment to living according to kingdom values might brand us as foolish in the eyes of the world, but it can bring honor to our God.

    What Christ will say on judgment day
    Will finally make life’s values clear;
    He’ll show that we were rich or poor
    By what on earth we held most dear.
    —D. De Haan

    Core values are of no value unless they reflect God’s values.

  10. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,780
    #40
    September 18, 2010 "Our Daily Bread" http://odb.org/2010/09/18/roughing-the-pastor/
    Roughing The Pastor

    Read: 1 Timothy 5:17-25

    Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the Word and doctrine. —1 Timothy 5:17

    I was at my grandson’s eighth-grade football game when the referee indicated there was a penalty and stopped play. Apparently, after the ball was thrown, the boy who passed it was tackled, prompting a penalty flag. The announcer from the press box said: “There is a flag on the field. The penalty is roughing the pastor . . . I mean, roughing the passer.” As soon as he said it, I thought to myself, God could give that penalty to some churches today!

    It’s not that pastors are perfect. If that is what we are looking for, then pastorless churches would be the norm. It’s that God calls on us to honor those who lead us spiritually, particularly “those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17 ESV). In my opinion, pastoring is one of the hardest occupations on the planet. We live in a sophisticated, fast-paced, and complex world, and our expectations for “high-performance” pastors often set the bar at unattainable heights.

    So, let’s switch the focus and become high-performance church members who honor our pastors with words of encouragement and prayer. A supportive note or a “thank you” in the foyer will go a long way to stimulate pastors to serve with joy and efficiency.

    Lord, help us to appreciate
    The work that others do,
    The service given from their hearts,
    Their sacrifice for You.
    —Sper

    Don’t be rough on your pastor—pass along some encouragement today.

Daily Scriptures and reflections [continued]