Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for March 1

JESUS IS OUR JUBILEE

From: March 1, 2024

“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you” (Leviticus 25:10 ESV).

Every seven years the Israelites were to keep a Sabbath for the land. God promised to bless their land with such abundance in the sixth year that it would provide enough for three years (Lev. 25:21-22). After seven of these cycles, which totaled 49 years, they were to declare a Year of Jubilee in the 50th year. This was like the Sabbath Year, yet included cancellation of debts. In the sabbath year, each field was to lie fallow, which appears to be a sound agricultural practice. Every 50th year, all leased or mortgaged lands were to be returned to their original owners, and all slaves and bonded laborers were to be freed. This practice reminded the Jews that the land really belonged to God and that they were really just “strangers and sojourners” in the land (Lev. 25:23). It also taught them to depend on God for provision, as they rested every seven years.

In Luke 4:19, Jesus read from Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the “Year of the Lord’s Favor” and declared that He was its fulfillment. Jesus is our Sabbath rest, the One who sets us free from sin’s bondage. Jesus is our Jubilee!

PRAYER: Dear Father, You have set us free from slavery to sin through faith in Your Son Jesus. Now He is our Jubilee. We rest in Him. Thank You for Your provision and calling. For we are now sent to declare the time of Jubilee in Jesus to the nations. Strengthen us for this. In Jesus’ name, amen.

FAITH LIKE A LITTLE CHILD

From: March 1, 2023

“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15 NLT).

People were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed by Him. But the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus noticed, He became indignant and told them to let the little children come to Him. Then, He made an important point that there was something about little children that actually made them more apt to enter the kingdom of God than adults. What was this childlike quality?

Perhaps it is because children have not yet been marred by the pride and prejudice that adulthood brings. They are still humble and teachable, open-minded and trusting. They are drawn to Jesus without any fleshly hindrance. Take a survey of people in your church, asking them at what age they became a follower of Jesus. And you will find that most of them believed when they were young. The older we get, the more the heart begins to harden.

Having faith as a little child to follow Jesus, means trusting in Him entirely for every need and care. It means humbly bowing our will to Him to call Him Lord and Savior. Do you have faith as a little child?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have gladly humbled ourselves as a little child to follow Your Son, Jesus. He is worthy of our trust and our worship. Strengthen us this day to tell others of the joy of knowing and following Him. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Aaron and the priests must tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand continually in the Lord’s presence” (Leviticus 24:4 NLT).

From: March 1, 2022

WHAT IS THE CALLING OF THE CHURCH AS LAMPSTAND?

The golden Lampstand stood in the Tabernacle with its seven lamps filled with olive oil facing the Table of Presence. It was to be kept continuously lit by the high priest. Its light was to shine on the Bread of Presence and throughout the holy place.

In the gospels, Jesus identified Himself with these two sacred symbols saying, “I am the Bread of life,” and “I am the Light of the world.” Later, in the book of Revelation, John saw Jesus walking among seven lampstands which were shown to represent seven churches. Jesus warned that He would remove a church’s lampstand if it failed to fulfill its calling to Him.

What is the calling of the church as a “lampstand?” It is to shine its light upon the Bread of Life, which is Jesus Christ our Lord! Any church that wastes its light by shining it on other things than Jesus, will have their lampstand removed. Church, let’s keep our lampstand lit and shining on Jesus!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to always keep our light shining on Jesus. For He is the Head and we are the body. He is the Cornerstone and we are the Church. He is the Bread of Life and we are His lampstand. Our first love belongs to You, Lord Jesus. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

“Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15 HCSB).

From: March 1, 2021

FAITH LIKE A LITTLE CHILD

People were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed by Him. But the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus noticed, He became indignant and told them to let the little children come to Him. Then, He made an important point that there was something about little children that actually made them more apt to enter the kingdom of God than adults. What was this childlike quality?

Perhaps it is because children have not yet been marred by the pride and prejudice that adulthood brings. They are still humble and teachable, open-minded and trusting. They are drawn to Jesus without any fleshly hindrance. Take a survey of people in your church, asking them at what age they became a follower of Jesus. And you will find that most of them believed before the age of twelve. After that, the heart begins to harden.

Having faith as a little child to follow Jesus, means trusting in Him entirely for every need and care. It means humbly bowing our will to Him to call Him Lord and Savior. Do you have faith as a little child?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have gladly humbled ourselves as a little child to follow Your Son, Jesus. He is worthy of our trust and our worship. Strengthen us this day to tell others of the joy of knowing and following Him. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.” (Leviticus 25:13 NKJV).

From: March 1, 2020

JESUS IS OUR JUBILEE

Every seven years the Israelites were to keep a Sabbath for the land. God promised to bless their land with such abundance in the sixth year that it would provide enough for three years (Lev. 25:21-22). After seven of these cycles (49 years), in the fiftieth year they were to declare a Year of Jubilee. This was like the Sabbath Year, yet included cancellation of debts. In the sabbath year, each field was to lie fallow, which appears to be a sound agricultural practice. Every fiftieth year, all leased or mortgaged lands were to be returned to their original owners, and all slaves and bonded laborers were to be freed. This practice reminded the Jews that the land really belonged to God and that they were really just “strangers and sojourners” in the land (Lev. 25:23). It also taught them to depend on God for supply, as they rested every seven years.

In Luke 4:19, Jesus read from Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the “Year of the Lord’s Favor” and declared that He was its fulfillment. Jesus is our Sabbath rest. He is our Jubilee.

PRAYER: Dear Father, You have set us free from slavery to sin through faith in Your Son Jesus. Now He is our Jubilee. We rest in Him. Thank You for Your provision and calling. For we are now sent to declare the time of Jubilee in Jesus to the nations. Strengthen us for this. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“This is the lampstand that stands in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night” (Leviticus 24:3 NLT).

From: March 1, 2019

WHAT IS THE CALLING OF THE CHURCH AS LAMPSTAND?

The golden Lampstand stood in the Tabernacle with its seven lamps filled with olive oil overlooking the Table of Presence. It was to be kept continuously lit by the high priest. Its light was to shine on the Bread of Presence and throughout the holy place.

In the gospels, Jesus identified Himself with these two sacred symbols saying, “I am the Bread of life,” and “I am the Light of the world.” Later, in the book of Revelation, John saw Jesus walking amongst the lampstands which were shown to be the churches. Jesus warned that He would remove a church’s lampstand if it failed to fulfill its calling to Him.

What is the calling of the church as a “lampstand?” It is to shine its light upon the Bread of Life, which is Jesus Christ our Lord! Any church which lets its light go out in the darkness or wastes its light by shining it on other things than Jesus, will have their lampstand removed. Church, let’s keep our lampstand lit and shining on Jesus!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to always keep our light shining on Jesus. For He is the Head and we are the body. He is the Cornerstone and we are the Church. He is the Bread of Life and we are His lampstand. Our first love belongs to You, Lord Jesus. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

“Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him” (Mark 10:21 NLT).

From: March 1, 2018

DOES JESUS LOVE SINNERS?

When Jesus looked upon the rich man who expressed his desire to be a follower, He loved him. Why did Christ love him? Did the rich man understand that “only God is good?” No, it seemed that he thought he could be good too. Was he able to sell his possessions, give them to the poor, and follow Jesus? No, he went away sad, choosing his possessions over following the Person of Christ. So, what was the trait or condition in this rich man that moved Jesus to look upon him with love? It wasn’t the condition of the rich man, but the unconditional love of Jesus that moved Jesus to love him. As the apostle Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Jesus loves sinners because He is all love and He loves with an unconditional love (“agape”). As the apostle John wrote, “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

I wonder. Should we love sinners too?

“Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake” (Psalm 44:26 NKJV).

From: March 1, 2017

After offering many reasons why the Lord should help, the Psalmist ultimately based his appeal on the Lord’s own “mercy.” The word in the Hebrew is “chesed,” which may also refer to God’s loving-kindness, his covenantal and unfailing love. In the New Testament this most closely matches the word “agape” love, as found in John 3:16, “For God so loved.” The Psalmist was praying, “Rise up our Help and redeem us according to the quality of Your covenantal love and not according to our own desert.”

“but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard” (Leviticus 25:4 ESV)

From: March 1, 2016

Every seven years the Israelites were to keep a Sabbath for the land. This was called the “shemitah.” God promised to bless their land with such abundance in the sixth year that it would provide enough for three years (Lev. 25:21-22). After seven of these cycles (49 years), in the fiftieth year they were to declare a Year of Jubilee. This was like the Sabbath Year, yet included cancellation of debts. In the sabbath year, each field was to lie fallow, which appears to be a sound agricultural practice. Every fiftieth year, all leased or mortgaged lands were to be returned to their original owners, and all slaves and bonded laborers were to be freed. This practice reminded the Jews that the land really belonged to God and that they were really just “strangers and sojourners” in the land (Lev. 25:23). It also taught them to depend on God for supply, as they rested every seven years. In Luke 4, Jesus read from Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the “Year of the Lord’s Favor” (Luke 4:19) and declared that He was its fulfillment. Jesus is our Sabbath rest. He is our Jubilee.

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.'” (Mark 10:27 NKJV)

From: March 1, 2015

This was Christ’s response to the question “Who then can be saved?” The truth is that we cannot save ourselves. Salvation is beyond humanity’s reach. No amount of counseling, religion, or self-effort can change the heart of man. We are drowning in our own sin and unable to reach the shore. But God has made a way for us through Christ. What seemingly impossible thing is defeating you today? Bring it to God. He specializes in accomplishing impossible things.