Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for March 29

WHO IS THIS JESUS?

From: March 29, 2024

‘And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”’ (Luke 8:25 ESV).

A fierce storm blew down onto the Sea of Galilee threatening to sink the boat with Jesus and His disciples aboard. Even the professional fishermen like Peter, James and John were afraid. Yet, Jesus remained asleep, untroubled by the storm. The disciples woke Jesus with shouts of “Master, we are perishing!” Jesus awoke from His nap, rebuked the storm with a word and an immediate calm fell upon the sea. The disciples were amazed. Their fear of the storm outside the boat was replaced by fearful awe of the One inside the boat!

Having Jesus in our life doesn’t mean that storms won’t come, but it does mean that we no longer have to fear them. In fact, it is often during life’s storms that we grow in understanding who Jesus really is.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for the peace that we have in You when storms come. For Christ Jesus is our peace. He commands the storm to be still and it obeys. Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, rather than life’s storms. In Jesus’ name, amen.

DON’T TURN JESUS AWAY

From: March 29, 2023

“And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:37 NLT).

The people in the region of the Gerasenes, on the Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, begged Jesus to leave. He had only just arrived when he encountered a demon possessed man who lived in the tombs. Running towards Jesus and shrieking at the top of his lungs, the demoniac fell at Jesus’ feet begging that Jesus not torture him. However, it wasn’t Jesus who tortured the man, but the demons, for they were many, going by the name “Legion.” Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man, sending them into a nearby herd of pigs as they requested. The pigs immediately plunged themselves into the water and drowned. The herdsmen who saw this, ran into the town, spreading the news as they went.

A great crowd came out to see the man freed from demons, fully clothed and sane, sitting at the feet of Jesus. This sight along with the news of how Jesus had freed the man and sent the demons into the pigs, caused a “great wave of fear” (“megas phobos”) to sweep over the crowd. So, they begged Jesus to leave. But the man freed from demons begged to go with Jesus.

Which are you? Have you heard about the life-changing power of Jesus, yet in fear of surrendering control to him, you have turned him away? Or are you like the man who once lived among the tombs? You have decided to follow Jesus and tell everyone what great things he has done for you.

PRAYER: Father, may we never be guilty of turning Jesus away. Yet, we confess that every time we deny the urge to speak on his behalf or to stand in the gap for him, we have turned him away in that place. Forgive us. We welcome Jesus into our homes, our schools, our workplace and our very lives. We want to tell everyone what great things Christ has done for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.”” (Luke 8:39 NLT).

From: March 29, 2022

DOES YOUR FAMILY KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU?

When Jesus freed the man living in the tombs of the Gedarenes of demon possession, he begged to go with Jesus. The man had been living in terrible misery, possessed by so many demons that they answered, “Legion” when Jesus asked their name.

Yet Jesus instructed him to go home and bear witness to his family of what great things God had done for him. Luke’s gospel shared that the man obeyed Jesus and “proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” Mark’s gospel further noted that the man “began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed” (Mark 5:20). The “Decapolis” referred to the “Ten Cities” largely inhabited by Gentiles on the East side of the Sea of Galilee. So the former demoniac became a great evangelist for Jesus among his people.

The instruction to “go back to your family” is similar to what Christ told His disciples on the day of His ascension. As He departed from them, He told them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the whole world (Acts 1:8). In other words, Jesus told them to begin their gospel witness at home and then work outward to the whole world.

We are still called to begin our Christian witness at our own house. Does your family know what God has done for you? Have you told your spouse, your children, your family how Jesus saved you?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for saving us and setting us free from sin’s wages. Help us to boldly bear witness to what great things You have done for us. And help us to begin at home. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who can this be? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!”’ (Luke 8:25 HCSB).

From: March 29, 2021

IS JESUS IN YOUR BOAT?

A fierce storm blew down onto the Sea of Galilee threatening to sink the boat with Jesus and His disciples aboard. Even the professional fishermen like Peter, James and John were afraid. Yet, Jesus remained asleep, untroubled by the storm. The disciples woke Jesus with shouts of “We’re going to drown!” Jesus raised up from His nap, rebuked the storm with a word and an immediate calm fell upon the sea. The disciples were amazed. Their fear of the storm outside the boat was replaced by fearful awe of the One inside the boat!

Having Jesus in your boat doesn’t mean that storms won’t come. But it does mean that you no longer have to fear them.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for the peace that we have in You when storms come. For Christ Jesus is our peace. He commands the storm to be still and it obeys. Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, rather than life’s storms. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you” (Luke 8:39 NKJV).

From: March 29, 2020

DOES YOUR FAMILY KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU?

When Jesus freed the man living in the tombs of the Gedarenes of demon possession, he begged to go with Jesus. The man had been living in terrible misery, possessed by so many demons that they called themselves, “Legion” when Jesus asked their name. In the Roman army, a legion referred to 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers, so the word had come to mean, “many.”

But Jesus instructed him to go home and bear witness to what great things God had done for him. Luke’s gospel shared that the man obeyed Jesus and “proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” Mark’s gospel further noted that the man “began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed” (Mark 5:20). The “Decapolis” referred to the “Ten Cities” largely inhabited by Gentiles on the East side of the Sea of Galilee. So the former demoniac became a great evangelist for Jesus among his people.

The instruction to “return to your own house” is similar to what Christ gave His disciples on the day of His ascension. As He departed from them, He told them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the whole world (Acts 1:8). In other words, Jesus told them to begin their gospel witness at home and then work outward to the whole world.

We are still called to begin our Christian witness at our “own house.” Does your family know what God has done for you?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for saving us and setting us free from sin’s wages. Help us to boldly bear witness to what great things You have done for us. And help us to begin at home. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:37 NLT).

From: March 29, 2019

HAVE YOU TURNED JESUS AWAY?

The people in the region of the Gerasenes, on the Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, begged Jesus to leave.

Jesus had only just arrived when he encountered a demon possessed man who lived in the tombs. Running towards Jesus and shrieking at the top of his lungs, the demoniac fell at Jesus’ feet begging that Jesus not torture him. However, it wasn’t Jesus who tortured the man, but the demons, for they were many, going by the name “Legion.” Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man, sending them into a nearby herd of pigs as they requested. The pigs immediately plunged themselves into the water and drowned. The herdsmen who saw this, ran into the town, spreading the news as they went.

A great crowd came out to see the man freed from demons, fully clothed and sane, sitting at the feet of Jesus. This sight along with the news of how Jesus had freed the man and sent the demons into the pigs, caused a “great wave of fear” (“megas phobos”) to sweep over the crowd. So, they begged Jesus to leave. But the man freed from demons begged to go with Jesus.

Which are you? Have you heard about the life-changing power of Jesus, yet in fear of surrendering control to him, you have turned him away? Or are you like the man who once lived among the tombs? You have decided to follow Jesus and tell everyone what great things he has done for you.

PRAYER: Father, may we never be guilty of turning Jesus away. Yet, we confess that every time we deny the urge to speak on his behalf or to stand in the gap for him, we have turned him away in that place. Forgive us. We welcome Jesus into our homes, our schools, our workplace and our very lives. We want to tell everyone what great things Christ has done for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”’ (Luke 8:25 NLT).

From: March 29, 2018

THE WIND AND WAVES OBEY HIM

A fierce storm blew down onto the Sea of Galilee threatening to sink the boat with Jesus and His disciples aboard. Even the professional fishermen like Peter, James and John were afraid. Yet, Jesus remained asleep, untroubled by the storm. The disciples woke Jesus with shouts of “We’re going to drown!” Jesus raised up from His nap, rebuked the storm with a word and an immediate calm fell upon the sea. The disciples were amazed. Their fear of the storm outside the boat was replaced by fearful awe of the One inside the boat!

If even the wind and waves obey Him, so will I.

“For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden” (Deuteronomy 11:10 NKJV).

From: March 29, 2017

Farming in Egypt involved the use of irrigation. The river Nile was the source of water for the region and the fields were “watered by foot,” meaning they were watered by the effort of those who either carried the water or dug the irrigation ditches.

But the Promised Land was not like the land of Egypt. It was not a huge plain watered from a river, but a land of hills and valleys, fed by the rains of heaven. It was a land that the Lord Himself would water and care for; therefore, the people would need to focus on obeying and worshiping Him in order for their fields to prosper.

The Lord wanted to raise up a people that would learn to completely depend on Him. He sought a people that would look to Him to supply all their needs. They were not to trust a land, or a river, nor their own ingenuity for irrigation, but the Lord.

The Lord still seeks those who will fully trust Him.

“You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 11:19 ESV)

From: March 29, 2016

Teaching the commandments of God to our children is to be a way of life. When we compartmentalize the teaching of God’s Word, so that we only mention it on Sundays and holidays, our children don’t see how to apply it to their everyday lives. It becomes an academic knowledge rather than an applied wisdom. However, when we teach and talk about God’s Word at the breakfast table, when traveling to school, at bedtime and all through the day, we show them how God’s Word is to affect their lifestyle. The responsibility to teach children to obey God’s Word is not to be assigned or delegated to the school or even the church. It is the responsibility of the parents to train up a child in the way of the Word.

“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you” (Luke 8:39 NKJV)

From: March 29, 2015

When Jesus freed the demon-possessed man living in the tombs of the Gedarenes, he begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus instructed him to go home and bear witness to “what great things God” had done for him. This was also the instruction Christ gave His disciples before He ascended when He told them to begin in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). We are still called to begin our Christian witness at our “own house.”