From: November 16, 2023
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace” (Hebrews 13:8-9 NLT).
The author of Hebrews warned believers not to be led astray by strange and various teachings that might come along. They were to remember the teachings and conduct of those who first shared the gospel with them and discipled them in the Word. In the midst of this warning, the truth of Christ’s unchanging, immutable nature was given. He is timeless. He is always the same.
Why offer this truth here? Perhaps not so much for its theological insight, but for its help in standing firm in a chaotic world. For in a world constantly swirling with change, the Lord Jesus Christ is unchanging. He is the Rock on which our faith stands as the rivers of time pass swiftly by. He is the Shelter in which we rest as the winds of change blow. Jesus is the same. He is constant. He is always there for us. Always available. Always dependable. Even when the best of friends become fickle, He is the Friend who laid down His life for us and continually advocates for us.
When everything around us becomes undependable and unpredictable, Jesus is the One we can always depend on and look to. “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we live in uncertain times, yet our faith is in the certainty of Christ Jesus. And the more these times change, the more we look to our unchanging Savior. The more unstable things become, the more we stand on the Rock, Christ Jesus. Strengthen us to stand by faith in Him always. Guide us by Your Spirit like a North Star, when all seems dark and unclear. Help us to fulfill Your purpose for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: November 16, 2022
WHEN A PEOPLE ACCUSE THE LORD
When a people lose their fear of the Lord and begin to lift their own judgments above His, that nation will not long survive. The prophet Ezekiel warned the people of Judah to repent. Yet they responded by accusing God of injustice rather than repenting themselves.
Today, we often hear people accusing God of injustice, either as a way of questioning His existence, or in response to the warnings from His Word. Such a people should take care, lest history repeat itself. For Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians just as Ezekiel had warned.
Remember what the apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant” (Gal. 6:7).
PRAYER: Dear Father, we pray for revival in our land. We ask that Your Spirit convict us of sin and move us to repentance. Strengthen us to stand firm against the devil and to share the gospel to everyone. Have mercy on our nation by sending revival to our city, state and country. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: November 16, 2016
016 – I had TURP surgery yesterday morning at 6:30 AM at Wilson Medical Center by Dr. Rounder. I spent two nights in the hospital. I didn’t post in the OYB for a week.
From: November 16, 2015
Amidst His words of divine judgment, God gave Israel a promise of a coming shepherd who would lead and feed them as God’s own flock. This shepherd was to be none other than God’s own “servant David,” who would be both shepherd and “prince” (Ez.34:24). This was one of the clearest Messianic prophecies given to Israel. Yet, when Jesus, Son of David, Son of God came, they rejected Him, turning Him over to be crucified on a Roman cross. Jesus the Servant has already come. Jesus the Prince will soon come again.
From: November 16, 2014
This prayer for our equipping and sanctification reveals God’s method for making us “pleasing to him.” It is none other than the power of Christ in us. We can pray this prayer too. Praying it for ourselves, we yield our wills to His, and acknowledge our dependence on Christ’s power. Praying it for others, we focus on Christ-at-work in others, rather than their shortcomings.