ODB Canada newsletter summer 2015 by ODB Canada

Jesus’ ATTITUDE and Ours . . . PA G E 2

Prayers for Your CHILDREN . . . PA G E 6

ENCOURAGING

Overcoming REGRET and SHAME with Truth . . . PA G E 7

STORIES

NEWS

Jay Beene (center) shares a light moment with 17-year-olds Chris Dale and Alizé Mosley. TERRY BIDGOOD

A Mission of Light

“God was showing me that they needed me in their lives.”

AY BEENE is a man with a passion for serving others. He knows what it’s like to be in the dark concerning spiritual matters. But he met Jesus, and now he’s walking in the light . . . and teaching others to do the same. Over a decade ago, Jay founded a nonprofit called Shine in the Dark Commission based in Memphis, Tennessee. He brings in young men who face challenges in their living situations, whether it’s an absent father or living in a poor area. He shares the love of God with them and then teaches them how to share with others. Together they distribute food and clothing for physical comfort to those in need. They also spread the (continued on page 4)

Study

Attitude Adjustment

DJOUBY / MORGUEFILE.COM

Book Excerpt

Can we have the mindset of Christ?

What was Jesus’ attitude toward sin? He cried about it. Toward the broken? He healed them and spent time with them.

W A freelance writer for many years, Dave Branon has authored 15 books. Dave and his wife, Sue, love rollerblading and spending time with their children and grandchildren. Dave also enjoys traveling overseas with students on ministry trips.

HO IS THE MOST Jesus-like person you have ever heard about—outside of people in the Bible? Is there anyone you’ve read about or been told about who mirrors Jesus enough that someone might say, “That person has the same attitude as Jesus Christ”? Or perhaps someone you know personally? Thinking about this might lead some to wonder: What does it mean when Paul says our mindset should be the same as that of Christ Jesus? To help focus in on this, think in these terms: What was important to our Saviour as He went about His earthly ministry? What was His attitude . . . Toward sin? He cried about it. Toward sinners? He hung out with them and loved them despite what others said about His doing so. Toward religious people? He hated their hypocrisy and the ignorance they showed toward Scripture. Toward women? He showed an anti-cultural respect for them and a willingness to forgive the fallen. And think of how, while suffering on the cruel cross, He thought of His mother. Toward children? He had time for them and showed gentle love to them. Toward the broken? He healed them and spent time with them. Toward Scripture? He honoured it, quoted it, and authenticated it. What do we see in action in Jesus’ life? We see compassion, selflessness, love, respect, authenticity, and honour.

And what kind of attitude leads to those kinds of actions? It all begins with humility. A nineteenth-century poet named Amiel clarified how this works: “There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.” The key to our Saviour’s interaction with others after He began His public ministry of preaching and healing and caring for the troubled was His humility. This is an Clearly, we are not living in the age of humility. excerpt from Stand Firm: 48 Everywhere we look we see pride and arrogance. We Life-Guides from see power grabs and putdowns. We see strutting and Philippians by Our upstaging as people battle for the spotlight. Imagine Daily Bread author Dave Branon. the contrast we can bring to our world if we have Go to dhponline.ca/branon to Jesus’ attitude. Think of how humbling ourselves to purchase the book. help others will attract people to our message. Consider how putting others before ourselves will win respect and gain a hearing as we try to tell them about our Jesus. Just as Paul desired that the people of Philippi would capture the spirit of Jesus’ humility in their assembly of believers, so we too should seek that same attitude in our lives—both inside and outside of the church.

*Register today at ourdailybread.ca/events

Bible Conferences

PLEA SE JOIN US in prayer for our 2015 Bible Conferences around the world. The goal of each event is to inspire our guests with the Word of God and to challenge each person to dive into its truths. These Bible-teaching sessions often highlight biblical characters and their unique journeys of faith. Our prayer is that each person who attends would continue to grow stronger in the faith and closer to the Lord. APRIL 25 Detroit, Michigan, USA* MAY Australia, Malaysia, and Taiwan JULY Malaysia and Singapore

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

Malaysia

OCTOBER Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan

(“A Mission of Light,” continued from page 1)

TERRY BIDGOOD

they regularly use Our Daily Bread in their group devotions. “Our Daily Bread influenced my life,” Chris said. “My sister started reading the Our Daily Bread every day. It showed her the way to Christ.” The team targets places where they know people have great needs and are looking for hope, such as hospitals or outside courthouses. Jay said, “I had my old life and was in the court system, and I was desperate. A lot of those people going into those doors say, ‘I need this today.’ One officer Shining in the dark: outside the court system came over to investigate what we In addition to providing were doing, and when he saw we were giving away Our Daily food and shelter to teens, Bread, he said ‘God bless you.’” Jay mentors them by practicing service and For Jay and his team, helping others and handing out ministry. That includes the Our Daily Bread comes naturally. “We always keep them use of Our Daily Bread for group devotions and handing in the car. When we go through the drive-thru, we always hand it to the person who is serving us,” he said. “We try to out the booklets to those they meet. always be cautious to the need.” Jay credits Colossians 3:23 with the message of “do everything as unto the Lord” as inspiration for his work. He said, “We should be doing it with the attitude of serving others. I try to teach my kids that.” Jay’s ministry began by distributing food and supplies, and somewhere along the line it grew to include this mentoring aspect where Jay now teaches the next generation to reach out in love. “Our environment has a lot to do with who we become,” Jay said. That environment is crucial for Alizé. “He (Jay) always says there will be stuff that will try to stop you. It’s hard being spiritual and easy to stay negative. But you got to stay positive. The area I live in is not a good area. I see a lot of drugs. I keep my distance and hang out with people at Jay’s house.” Chris echoes that thought. “Most of the friends at Jay’s house are like brothers to me. We have fun at Jay’s. They’re like family.” And had it not been for Jay’s influence, Chris said, “I would have gone down a different road.” Visit us at Making a difference is exactly what Jay, Chris, ourdailybread.ca/stories Alizé, and the other members of Shine in the to watch Jay share more of his Dark Commission are doing on a daily basis. story of transformation and As Jay put it, their mission is “to follow God his love for the Lord. wholeheartedly and to take His light into the dark places; to serve Him, which is serving others; and to know Him and make Him known. That’s the ultimate goal of our ministry.” TERRY BIDGOOD

message of God’s love and encouragement through Our Daily Bread, the devotional that contributed to Jay’s own faith walk early on. Jay’s life was very different before God changed him. “I didn’t understand it until it happened to me,” Jay said. “When I found the Our Daily Bread, it amazed me how it helped me to grow in my walk. Our Daily Bread is what taught me that I really need to be seeking God every day.” Jay’s love for the Lord led him to create this ministry where he gleans goods and food from public support and delivers them to areas with indigent people. One day a teenager approached Jay while he was making his rounds. They began hanging out, and the next thing he knew, Jay had a designated bedroom with bunk beds in his house for several teens who needed a home away from home. “Many don’t have good home lives or a Christian father figure. God was showing me that they needed me in their lives to mentor and guide them toward Him,” Jay said. Seventeen-year-old Chris Dale has benefitted from Jay’s influence. “Before I met Jay, I didn’t have a father figure in my life. Jay and I always have fun!” Alizé Mosley, also 17, agrees. “It’s like a father thing.” These young men are building character and growing deeper in their faith, and

GARETH WEEKS / FREEIMAGES.COM

One day’s sample reading

Prayers for Your Children Storms There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. DEUTERONOMY 33:26 (NLT)

This is an excerpt from Prayers for Your Children: 90 Days of Heartfelt Prayers. Author and pastor James Banks provides ninety prayers to cover your child during every season of life. With heartfelt wisdom and truth, these ready-to-use prayers focus on specific needs, including knowing Christ as Saviour, loving the Lord and others, and experiencing God’s protection. Visit us at dhponline.ca/banks to purchase your copy.

STORMS CAN BE SCARY, LORD. There’s so much power in them, and they can make us feel so small. I think of the times when thunder rolled, and my child would jump out of his bed into mine. He wanted to get close enough to hear my heart beat, just to feel safe. I’m also reminded of the time you “rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (MARK 4:39 NIV). The disciples “were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’ ” (MARK 4:41 NIV). Your power amazes me too, Lord, but so does your heart! You are “the Lord Almighty” (1 SAMUEL 4:4 NIV) who “makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind” (PSALM 104:3 NIV). But you also ride “across the heavens to help” us (DEUTERONOMY 33:26 NLT)! You are “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (EXODUS 34:6–7 NIV). I praise you, Jesus, because you are Lord over every storm that will ever occur in my child’s life. Please watch over him and keep him safe. Please speak to the storms when they rage and he is frightened, but also speak to his heart. You are able to calm the storms within, and when they come, I pray he will hear your voice saying, “Peace, be still” (MARK 4:39 NKJV).

Kimberly’s story

Overcoming Regret and Shame with Truth

Listen Words To Live By radio

IMBERLY SPENT HER LIFE RUNNING —running away from home, running away from relationships, running away from her past. After years of searching for love and some kind of purpose for her life, Kimberly accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour after stumbling upon a Christian television program . . . “I was broken. I was crying. I couldn’t believe that there could be hope for the people on that program, and I began to think, ‘Well, surely if there’s hope for them, there’s hope for me.’ Part of me thought it was silly, but I took the plunge and I prayed the sinner’s prayer, the prayer of salvation, and I received Christ at 30 years of age. I know today my life “I received Christ at began to be transformed. My 30 years of age. I know eyes were opened.” Kimberly became a new today my life began person—a new creation. But as to be transformed. we all know, there are times My eyes were opened.” when the enemy tries to use the regret and shame of the past against us to rob us of our joy and peace. When that occurs, Kimberly relies on the truth of who she is in Christ Each week, our Words To Live By radio program and the words to live by she finds in the Bible. presents encouraging “Are we going to believe that God will see us through? stories of faith. Discover He always does. But I don’t want the pain. I don’t want the wisdom and hope for struggle. I don’t want the sorrow, but God knows that when whatever you may be facing we go through those hardships, it’s only going to refine us, through the personal stories and I think that that is such a hard place . . . We get in this of those who have found little fantasy world that I’m a Christian and it shouldn’t be God to be faithful and His hard anymore, but that’s just not life. You know, this thinking Word to be a reliable source that it’s all about me, and it’s not. It’s about what He wants to of strength, guidance, and encouragement. do in and through you for His purposes and His glory.” COURTESY OF KIMBERLY

Read

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (PSALM 40:2 NIV)

Visit words.net to hear more of Kimberly’s story or to find a station near you.

Stories

“I desperately needed change . . .”

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from Facebook

A battle to overcome pain and addiction

I You Can Make a Difference! MANY PEOPLE making even the smallest of donations, enable us to reach others, like Lisa, with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. Visit us online at ourdailybread.ca/ donate to discover how you can help. We are not funded or endowed by any group or denomination and are grateful for the support given to Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada.

N 2001, after my mother entered into glory, I went into a huge depression, fell back into worldly ways, and abandoned God momentarily. Through this darkness, I chose not to listen to anyone about God. I did everything possible to numb the pain to no avail. I had no resources to continue my drug, eating, and alcohol addictions because I wasn’t employed then. My spending choices were food or addictions, and I didn’t want my children to suffer due to my poor choices. I believe I had to go through this realization on my own so God could work through me. I decided one day that enough is enough and began a How has God three-day fast to end all my transformed your life? addiction habits. I desperately Share your story with us! needed change and began ourdailybread.ca/ reading Our Daily Bread and stories the Bible together. To this day, I continue reading Our Daily Bread and the Bible every day. I trust God completely for all my needs. If it wasn’t for Our Daily Bread planting seeds of salvation in my soul, I would still be lost today. I thank God for Our Daily Bread because God uses it to help lost souls like me. In this dark world, there is hope! —LISA K

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