Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for June 16

INVITING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO JESUS

From: June 16, 2024

“And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends” (Acts 10:24 ESV).

The Roman centurion, Cornelius, had sent for the apostle Peter and upon hearing that he was on the way, he “called together his relatives and close friends” to meet and hear him. Cornelius wanted everyone he cared about to hear the word of God.

Have you invited your relatives and friends to hear the gospel? Have you “called” them to come with you to follow Jesus?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we want all our family and friends to come to Jesus. Strengthen us to call them all to hear Your Word and to give their lives fully to You. May we not lose one of them, but that all of them may come to faith in Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.

ELIJAH FORSHADOWS CHRIST

From: June 16, 2023

“Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”” (1 Kings 17:8-9 NLT).

After Elijah warned King Ahab about the coming drought in Israel, he fled to the wilderness. Eventually, the Lord sent Elijah out of Israel to the land of Sidon, where God had commanded a widow to provide for his needs. In this way, God both protected Elijah from Ahab and provided for his needs during the drought and resulting famine. It also showed the Lord’s care for the widow and her son. For even though they were not Israelites, God used Elijah to meet their physical needs and to impact their faith in Him. For though Israel was chosen to be God’s very own people, they were chosen in order that God might bless all the nations of the world. For God promised Abraham that “in your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 22:18).

And that “Seed” is Jesus. For Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that Elijah’s ministry foreshadowed. That Jesus would be the mediator of God’s blessing to the Jew first and then to the Greek.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your provision and protection, but most of all thank You for Jesus. Yet, Your desire for the nations continues. We feel the passion of Your Spirit in us for carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. Strengthen us this day to accomplish this great commission You have given us through Jesus, Your Son. In His name we pray, amen.

“And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42 NLT).

From: June 16, 2022

MOBILIZED FOR MISSION

The apostle Peter told the Roman centurion named Cornelius that Jesus had ordered the apostles to “preach and testify that Jesus is the one.” He was appointed by God to be the “judge of all” and everyone who believes in Him will be forgiven their sins. Hearing this message, Cornelius and his whole house believed.

Cornelius was a Roman soldier, but now he was drafted into the Lord’s army. Just as Jesus had trained and equipped Peter and then sent him out as an apostle, so now Cornelius was to be mobilized for this same mission.

Just as Peter was “ordered” by Jesus to preach and testify about Him, so have all believers been commissioned. As Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

Believer, you are sent. Submit to Jesus as Lord over all of your life. Be equipped and discipled in a Bible-believing church. Recognize that the Lord wants to mobilize you for mission.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we believe that Jesus is the One. He is our King, Savior and Lord. He is the Judge of the living and the dead. We submit our lives to Him afresh this day. Here we are Lord, send us! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there” (1 Kings 17:9 HCSB).

From: June 16, 2021

GOD’S PROMISE TO BLESS THE NATIONS

After Elijah warned King Ahab about the coming drought in Israel, he fled to the wilderness. Eventually, the Lord sent Elijah out of Israel to the land of Sidon, where God had commanded a widow to provide for his needs. In this way, God both protected Elijah from Ahab and provided for his needs during the drought and resulting famine. It also showed the Lord’s care for the widow and her son. For even though they were not Israelites, God used Elijah to meet their physical needs and to impact their faith in Him. For though Israel was chosen to be God’s very own people, they were chosen in order that God might bless all the nations of the world. For God promised Abraham that “in your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 22:18).

And that “Seed” is Jesus. For Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that Elijah’s ministry foreshadowed. That Jesus would be the mediator of God’s blessing to the Jew first and then to the Greek.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your provision and protection, but most of all thank You for Jesus. Yet, Your desire for the nations continues. We feel the passion of Your Spirit in us for carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. Strengthen us this day to accomplish this great commission You have given us through Jesus, Your Son. In His name we pray, amen.

“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” (1 Kings 17:9 NKJV).

From: June 16, 2020

GOD’S DESIRE FOR THE NATIONS

After Elijah warned King Ahab about the coming drought in Israel, he fled to the wilderness. Eventually, the Lord sent Elijah out of Israel to the land of Sidon, where God had commanded a widow to provide for his needs. In this way, God both protected Elijah from Ahab and provided for his needs during the drought and resulting famine. It also showed the Lord’s care for the widow and her son. For even though they were not Israelites, God used Elijah to meet their physical needs and to impact their faith in Him. For although Israel was chosen to be God’s very own people, they were chosen in order that God might bless all the nations of the world. For God promised Abraham that “in your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 22:18).

And that “Seed” is Jesus. For Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise that Elijah’s ministry foreshadowed. That Jesus would be the mediator of God’s blessing to Jew first but also to the Greek and to all nations.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your provision and protection, but most of all thank You for Jesus. Yet, Your desire for the nations continues. We feel the passion of Your Spirit in us for carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. Strengthen us this day to accomplish this great commission You have given us through Jesus, Your Son. In His name we pray, amen.

“The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too” (Acts 10:45 NLT).

From: June 16, 2018

ONE FLOCK WITH ONE SHEPHERD

When Peter preached to Cornelius, he and his whole Gentile household believed and were filled with the Holy Spirit. This amazed the Jewish believers because they had thought the Messiah to be exclusive to their people. Yet, if they had understood the preaching of Jesus, they would have known otherwise. For out of the Gentiles, Jesus would call sheep that belonged to Him too. As Jesus said, “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16).

“And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends” (Acts 10:24 NKJV).

From: June 16, 2017

The Roman centurion, Cornelius, had sent for the apostle Peter and upon hearing that he was on the way, he “called together his relatives and close friends” to meet and hear him. Cornelius wanted everyone he cared about to hear the gospel. Have you invited your relatives and friends to hear the gospel? Have you “called” them to come with you to follow Jesus?

“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” (Proverbs 17:9 ESV)

From: June 16, 2016

In Genesis 9, Ham saw his father, Noah, naked with a hangover from too much wine and he went out and told his brothers. But his brothers took a garment and walked into Noah’s tent backwards to cover his nakedness without seeing him. They exhibited love because they sought to help cover their father’s sin, while Ham did not. Ham was a gossip. Love helps the sinner get forgiveness. It does not seek to condemn or make matters worse. Nor does it attempt to enlarge the sin by repeating it to others.

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends” (Proverbs 17:9)

From: June 16, 2012

Fault-finding is easy, but love looks for good. When we focus on faults, we foster separation. But looking through the lens of love, we find forgiveness and oneness. Are you a fault-finder? Or have you learned the art of seeing others through the eyes of God’s love?

“Then the word of the LORD came to him” (1 Kings 17:8)

From: June 16, 2011

After the brook dried up, Elijah heard from God. I wonder how long he sat there without water before God spoke?