Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for May 15

UNLESS YOU BELIEVE

From: May 15, 2024

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24 ESV).

Jesus warned that those who did not believe in Him as the Christ, would die in their sins. Sin is the state of all of Adam’s race. It begins as an attitude of the heart that wants its own way, and manifests as an act of the flesh that goes against God’s law. Sin is missing the mark of God’s righteousness. It has infected every aspect of man, his character, his thoughts and his deeds. We are born in sin and in sin we die, apart from Christ.

The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fallen short” (Rom. 3:23). It also teaches that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Jesus’ warning is true. We are already sinners and we will die in our sins, unless we believe in Him. For we are born as Adam’s children, but believing in Jesus, we are born again. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

To die in one’s sins is to retain sin’s consequence, which is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. Yet, to all who receive Christ Jesus, to those who believe in his name, he gives “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). The one who dies in Christ, never really dies, but will live forever with Him.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are those who have believed in Your Son, Jesus, as the Christ, the Savior of the world. We confess our sin and receive Your payment for our sin, which was paid by Jesus’ death on the cross. We are justified by His resurrection. We too have died with Christ and are risen to new life in Him. Strengthen us to live this day as Your children, sharing the gospel of Jesus to everyone. In Jesus’ name, amen.

ARE YOU READY FOR WHOLE-HEARTED WORSHIP?

From: May 15, 2023

“Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people” (Psalm 111:1 NLT).

The psalmist opens with the Hebrew word, “Hallelujah” (“Praise the LORD”)! With this exclamation of praise, he both announced his intention and invited the participation of his fellow worshipers. He was determined to praise the LORD with “all his heart.” Have you made the same determination?

In order to bring whole-hearted worship, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine our hearts. Does He reveal fire and zeal for the Lord there? If not, fan your faith into flame! There is no room for half-hearted passion in worship. Does He see anxiety and worry? Turn it into prayer and petition. Empty your heart in prayer that you may be filled with peace and praise. Does He uncover doubt or discouragement in you? Speak truth from the promises of God’s Word to your doubts and instruct your soul to lift up its countenance to the Lord. Ask the Spirit to root out any place in your heart where you are not worship-ready.

And then, bring your worship with you when you go to church. Arrive with intent to express whole-hearted worship, in song, in prayers, in Scripture reading, in hearing the Word preached, in tithes and offerings, and in response.

Whole-hearted worship doesn’t happen on its own. We must be intentional about expressing worship with our whole heart! We must decide to always be worship-ready!

PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us when we complain and offer half-hearted worship. Help us to fan into flame the passion that comes from You. Reveal to us where our hearts are not right with You, so that we may worship You fully. Fill us with fire and passion afresh by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45 NLT).

From: May 15, 2022

THE NAME THAT IS GREATER THAN THE GIANT YOU FACE

What David said to Goliath as they closed for battle revealed his heart and passion for God’s great name. Surely the giant was both impressive and terrifying to behold. He was a giant of a man, nine feet tall, dressed in the finest armor and carrying sword, spear and javelin, while young David wore a shepherd’s garb and carried only a sling and a stone. Yet, God delivered Goliath into David’s hand, defeating the great giant with a small stone.

It was this same David who inspired of the Holy Spirit wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

We can depend on God’s Name for victory in our lives too. The Name of Jesus is given to us to call upon. We can ask anything in Jesus’ strong Name and the Father hears us.

What giant are you facing today? Call upon Jesus. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

PRAYER: Dear Father, some days we know what giants we face and others they reveal themselves during the day’s journey. Yet, we would always desire to go out in Your great name. We don’t want to leave our homes this morning in Saul’s worldly armor, but in Your armor, which is Your great name. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit as we carry Your name with us all the day. In the Name of Jesus, amen.

“Hallelujah! I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1 HCSB).

From: May 15, 2021

ARE YOU WORSHIP-READY?

The psalmist opens with the Hebrew word, “Hallelujah” (“Praise the LORD”)! With this exclamation of praise, he both announced his intention and invited the participation of his fellow worshipers. He was determined to praise the LORD with “all his heart.” Have you made the same determination?

In order to bring whole-hearted worship, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine our hearts. Does He reveal fire and zeal for the Lord there? If not, fan your faith into flame! There is no room for half-hearted passion in worship. Does He see anxiety and worry? Turn it into prayer and petition. Empty your heart in prayer that you may be filled with peace and praise. Does He uncover doubt or discouragement in you? Speak truth from the promises of God’s Word to your doubts and instruct your soul to lift up its countenance to the Lord. Ask the Spirit to root out any place in your heart where you are not worship-ready.

And then, bring your worship with you when you go to church. Arrive with intent to express whole-hearted worship, in song, in prayers, in Scripture reading, in hearing the Word preached, in tithes and offerings, and in response.

Whole-hearted worship doesn’t happen on its own. We must be intentional about expressing worship with our whole heart! We must decide to always be worship-ready!

PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us when we complain and offer half-hearted worship. Help us fan into flame the passion that comes from You. Reveal to us where our hearts are not right with You, so that we may worship You fully. Fill us with fire and passion afresh by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24b NKJV).

From: May 15, 2020

WILL YOU DIE IN YOUR SINS OR BELIEVING IN CHRIST?

Jesus warned that those who did not believe in Him as the Christ, would die in their sins. Sin is the state of all of Adam’s race. It begins as an attitude of the heart that wants its own way, and manifests as an act of the flesh that goes against God’s law. Sin is missing the mark of God’s righteousness. It has infected every aspect of man, his character, his thoughts and his deeds. We are born in sin and in sin we die, apart from Christ.

The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fallen short” (Rom. 3:23). It also teaches that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Jesus’ warning is true. We are already sinners and we will die in our sins, unless we believe in Him. For we are born as Adam’s children, but believing into Jesus, we are born again. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

To die in one’s sins is to retain sin’s consequence, which is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. Yet, to all who receive Christ Jesus, to those who believe in his name, he gives “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). The one who dies not in his sins, but in Christ, will live forever with God.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are those who have believed in Your Son, Jesus, as the Christ, the Savior of the world. We confess our sin and receive Your payment for our sin, which was paid by Jesus’ death on the cross. We are justified by His resurrection. We too have died with Christ and are risen to new life in Him. Strengthen us to live this day as Your children, sharing the gospel of Jesus to everyone. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“David replied to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied'” (1 Samuel 17:45 NLT).

From: May 15, 2019

IN WHOSE NAME DO YOU COME?

What David said to Goliath as they closed for battle revealed his heart and passion for God’s great name. It was this same David who inspired of the Holy Spirit wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

We can depend on God’s Name for victory in our lives too. The Name of Jesus is given to us to call upon. We can ask anything in Jesus’ strong Name and the Father hears us. What giant are you facing today? Call upon Jesus. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

PRAYER: Dear Father, some days we know what giants we face and others they reveal themselves during the day’s journey. Yet, we would always desire to go out in Your great name, Jehovah-Tsaba, the LORD of Hosts. We don’t want to leave our homes this morning in Saul’s fleshly armor, but in Your armor, which is Your great name. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit as we carry Your name with us all the day. In the Name of Jesus, amen.

‘Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”’ (John 8:21 NLT).

From: May 15, 2018

SEEK HIM WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND

Jesus warned the crowd that he would soon be “going away” and then it would be too late to find Him. Jesus would soon go to the cross and after His resurrection, would ascend to heaven. Those who would not believe in Jesus would ultimately “die in their sins” and therefore be unfit for heaven.

Most of those in the crowd did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, even though He was with them fulfilling every word the prophets had written. After Christ’s departure, they would continue to “search” for the Messiah, but they would not find him, for he had already come and they had not recognized him.

Now is the time to follow Jesus. Tomorrow may be too late. Therefore, listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55:6).

“Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.” (Psalm 111:1 NKJV).

From: May 15, 2017

Whole-hearted worship.

In the Hebrew, the psalmist opens with “Hallelujah” (“Praise the Lord”)! With this exclamation of praise, he both announces his intention and invites our participation. The psalmist is headed to the Temple to offer “whole-hearted” praise to Jehovah along with other worshipers. That’s what he is going to do. What are you going to do? Will you join him?

In order to bring whole-hearted worship, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine our hearts. Does He reveal fire and zeal for the Lord there? If not, fan your faith into flame! There is no room for half-hearted passion in worship. Does He see anxiety and worry? Turn it into prayer and petition. Empty your heart in prayer that you may be filled with peace and praise. Does He uncover doubt or discouragement in you? Speak truth from the promises of God’s Word to your doubts and instruct your soul to lift up its countenance to the Lord. Ask the Spirit to root out any place in your heart where you are not worship-ready.

And then, bring your worship with you when you go to church. Arrive with intent to express whole-hearted worship, in song, in prayers, in Scripture reading, in hearing the Word preached, in tithes and offerings, and in response.

Whole-hearted worship doesn’t happen on its own. We must be intentional about expressing worship with our whole heart!

“I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me” (John 8:28 ESV)

From: May 15, 2016

Jesus only did what the Father authorized and only said what the Father instructed. He was perfectly attuned to the Father at all times. The one that would follow Christ is invited into this oneness (John 17:20-23). Not a rote or ritual checking of boxes, but a real relationship. It is this relationship that Christ came to offer, giving His life that we might believe and be made right with the Father.

‘And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth”‘ (1 Samuel 17:33 NKJV)

From: May 15, 2015

Saul appraised David’s chances at success based on outward appearance and worldly wisdom. He couldn’t see David’s heart. For if he could, he would’ve seen the heart of a lion, one who was after God’s own heart. Besides, it pleases God to take the small to overcome the great. In this, God receives greater praise. God cares more for your availability, than your ability. David made himself available. And God did the rest.