Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for June 30

DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE!

From: June 30, 2023

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 NLT).

The apostle Paul reminded his friends from Ephesus of the calling he had on his life from Jesus. Even though he knew that suffering and jail awaited him, he was determined to fulfill his life’s purpose of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful grace. Protecting his life was not his primary concern. Preaching the gospel was. Finishing the work that Jesus had assigned to him was what gave his life meaning and worth.

Have you learned to find your self worth in Jesus? What work has Jesus assigned to you? His assignments to us are as various as our spiritual gifting, but they all have one thing in common–– giving testimony of the gospel of God’s grace!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You not only called us to Yourself in Christ Jesus, but You called us to one another and to the nations. Help us to find our life’s purpose and self-worth in doing the work Christ has assigned to each of us. Whatever our calling, help us to always have the Good News of God’s wonderful grace on our lips. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week” (Acts 20:6 NLT).

From: June 30, 2022

THE HISTORICAL PRECISION OF LUKE

Paul’s missionary companion, Luke, rejoined Paul at Philippi. Luke was a physician, missionary and the author of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. His presence, while not specifically named, is seen by a reappearance of the word, “we,” a second person plural unused since Acts 16.

Like John in his gospel, Luke doesn’t name himself, but does note when he is present in the story. Notice the detail that Luke gives. What time of the year? “After the Passover.” Where? “Philippi in Macedonia.” Destination? “Troas” (The ruins of”Troas” also called “Troy” are on the coast of modern day Turkey). How long? “Five days” on the ship and “a week” in Troas.

Apparently, Luke had remained at Philippi in the house of Lydia (See Acts 16:12), since they had first passed through the region. Why he remained there is not known. At any rate, Luke rejoined Paul at Philippi and continued with his precise historical record.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the careful writings of Luke and all of the Scriptures that You have given us. For in them we have found the words of life. Strengthen us this day by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24 HCSB).

From: June 30, 2021

SHARING THE TESTIMONY WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN

The apostle Paul reminded his friends from Ephesus of the calling he had on his life from Jesus. Even though he knew that suffering and jail awaited him, he was determined to fulfill his life purpose of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful grace. Protecting his life was not his primary concern. Preaching the gospel was. Finishing the work that Jesus had assigned to him was what gave his life meaning and worth.

Have you learned to find your self worth in Jesus? What work has Jesus assigned to you? His assignments to us are as various as our spiritual gifting, but they all have one thing in common–– giving testimony of the gospel of God’s grace!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You not only called us to Yourself in Christ Jesus, but You called us to one another and to the nations. Help us to find our life’s purpose and self-worth in doing the work Christ has assigned to each of us. Whatever our calling, help us to always have the Good News of God’s wonderful grace on our lips. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7 NKJV).

From: June 30, 2020

REMEMBER THAT TIME WE ATTENDED AN ALL-NIGHT SERVICE IN TROAS?

The disciples in the city of Troas gathered on a Sunday to hear Paul preach. They couldn’t get enough of the church-planting apostle’s words, so they sat listening to him all day, even unto midnight. What a great Sunday service this must’ve been. Unfortunately, a young man named Eutychus fell asleep during the sermon and fell out the window of the third story upper room where they were meeting. The fall killed him, but Paul rushed downstairs and raised him up to life again. Then they returned to the upper room where they took the Lord’s Supper and listened to Paul until daybreak.

Can you imagine the way those who were gathered together that day to hear Paul’s final sermon in Troas talked about it later in life? Surely one would turn to another, years later, and say, “Remember that time we attended an all-night service listening to the Apostle Paul?”

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are so distracted and limited in our attention spans that we can hardly sit still for more than a moment. How we long for a time when we might sit and hear Your Word preached and pray with one another without consideration of time. Give us strength and stamina to stay our minds on You and on Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” (Acts 20:24 NLT).

From: June 30, 2019

WHAT WORK HAS JESUS ASSIGNED TO YOU?

The apostle Paul reminded his friends from Ephesus of the calling he had on his life from Jesus. Even though he knew that suffering and jail awaited him, he was determined to fulfill his life purpose of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful grace. Protecting his life was not his primary concern. Preaching the gospel was. Finishing the work that Jesus had assigned to him was what gave his life meaning and worth.

Have you learned to find your self worth in Jesus? What work has Jesus assigned to you? His assignments to us are as various as our spiritual gifting, but they all have one thing in common–– telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You not only called us to Yourself in Christ Jesus, but You called us to one another and to the nations. Help us to find our life’s purpose and self-worth in doing the work Christ has assigned to each of us. Whatever our calling, help us to always have the Good News of God’s wonderful grace on our lips. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week” (Acts 20:6 NLT).

From: June 30, 2018

THE HISTORICAL PRECISION OF LUKE

Paul’s missionary companion, Luke, rejoined Paul at Philippi. Luke was a physician, missionary and the author of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. His presence, while not specifically named, is seen by a reappearance of the word, “we,” a second person plural unused since Acts 16.

Like John in his gospel, Luke doesn’t name himself, but does note when he is present in the story. Notice the detail that Luke gives. What time of the year? “After the Passover.” Where? “Philippi in Macedonia.” Destination? “Troas” (The ruins of”Troas” also called “Troy” are on the coast of modern day Turkey). How long? “Five days” on the ship and “a week” in Troas.

Apparently, Luke had remained at Philippi in the house of Lydia (See Acts 16:12), since they had first passed through the region. Why he remained there is not known. At any rate, Luke rejoined Paul at Philippi and continued with his precise historical record.

“For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day” (2 Kings 17:22-23 NKJV).

From: June 30, 2017

The destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel was now complete. They had rejected David’s son as king, followed Jeroboam into idolatry, ignored the warnings of the prophets, so that the Lord allowed Assyria to conquer them and carry them away. Their demise is the basis for the search for the “Ten Lost Tribes.” However, such a search seems fruitless, as the Bible describes them as having intermarried with the Assyrians, so that their genealogy was lost. Yet, the tribe of Judah remained. Although along with it, much of the tribe of Benjamin, and the tribes of Simeon and Levi also remained, yet were incorporated into Judah, so that all were known as “Jews” from that point until now.

Later, Judah was also carried away by the Babylonians, but unlike the tribes of Israel, Judah did not intermarry and remained faithful to the Lord in exile. So, when they returned to Jerusalem after 70 years they were able to reinstitute Temple worship and retain their Jewish identity.

The destruction and disappearance of the Northern tribes came as a result of their rejection of the Lord as their God. Yet, the Lord patiently sent them His prophets to warn them and gave them time to repent. But they did not. Even so, the Lord has sent Jesus Christ to all nations, so that even the so-called “lost tribes” might be “found” in Him.

“And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead” (Acts 20:9 ESV)

From: June 30, 2016

Have you ever fallen asleep during a sermon? Eutychus did and it nearly cost him his life. Fortunately for him, the Word came to him a second time and he awoke from the dead. Whether it was Paul’s overlong preaching, for he preached “even till daybreak,” or it was Eutychus’ lack of receptivity remains unclear. But one thing appears certain. Eutychus stayed awake for the rest of Paul’s sermon. 🙂

“And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead” (Acts 20:9 NKJV)

From: June 30, 2015

Have you ever fallen asleep during a sermon? Eutychus did and it nearly cost him his life. Fortunately for him, the Word came to him a second time and he awoke from the dead. Whether it was Paul’s overlong preaching, for he preached “even till daybreak,” or it was Eutychus’ lack of receptivity remains unclear. But one thing appears certain. Eutychus stayed awake for the rest of Paul’s sermon.

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 NLT)

From: June 30, 2014

In Paul’s final instructions to the elders of the Ephesian church, he warned them of false teachers who would seek to profit from the flock rather than protect it. He called them to acknowledge that his ministry was marked by no covetous motives and hard work. He challenged them to remember Jesus and to be givers, not takers.