Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for October 2

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV).

From: October 2, 2020

THE PERFECT BODY YOU ALWAYS DESIRED

This is what we believe, that the Resurrected One will return and our bodies will be transformed to be like His. Christ is the “firstborn” (Greek: “prototokos”) from among the dead, the “prototype” for the glorified bodies that we will receive at His return. Those who believe will have a body fit for eternity like His!

Yet for now, our bodies “groan” (Rom. 8:23) as we await this transformation. But soon and very soon, they will groan no more. For on that Day our faith will become sight.

As the apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

PRAYER: Dear Father, as our bodies age, they groan with increasing discomfort, but also in anticipation of that which is promised, namely, a body like Your Son’s. In the meantime, strengthen us to use these old bodies up for Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Isaiah 66:2a NLT).

From: October 2, 2019

OUR CREATOR HAS BECOME OUR REDEEMER!

In the last chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, the Lord reminds us that He is both Creator and Owner of all. There is nothing we can build for Him nor give Him that He doesn’t already own. Yet, He would have us humbly surrender our hearts to Him. For though we are the work of His hands, we have rebelled against His authority. What madness this is! That the creature would rebel against the Creator! But God has made a way for our reconciliation. He has sent His only Son to receive our punishment for rebellion that we might by grace through faith receive His reward for obedience. He offers those who would believe in Him, righteousness, Sonship, and eternal life in exchange for our unrighteousness, separation and death.

Our Creator has become our Redeemer!

PRAYER: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us and designing us for relationship with You. Thank You for Jesus in whom we have redemption, so that we have received the rights of sonship. We come confidently into Your presence as Your children and lovingly call You our Abba, our Father. Meet our needs today and strengthen us to glorify You in all that we do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9 NLT).

From: October 2, 2018

MADE RIGHT WITH GOD BY FAITH

Paul told the Philippians that before he trusted Christ, he had worked to earn righteousness through obeying the law. But when he encountered Christ, he saw his attempts at righteousness as worthless in comparison to Christ’s infinite worth. As a result, he stopped counting on his own law-keeping efforts and gladly received the righteousness of Christ by faith.

The law was not given that we might earn righteousness, but that we might recognize the depth of our unrighteousness. But Christ was given that we might be made right with God by faith.

“Arise, O God, plead Your own cause” (Psalm 74:22 NKJV).

From: October 2, 2017

The psalmist prayed that the Lord would “arise,” that He would make Himself known. Certainly, the Lord has answered this prayer over and over again, especially and ultimately in the revelation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet, the prayer implies that the psalmist has been pleading the Lord’s cause without result and would have the Lord’s help in it. Surely, the foolish ones who have rejected the gospel and rebelled against God’s name would be corrected, if the Lord would only intervene. And so, the psalmist prayed for a clear manifestation of God’s presence and power.

Let us join the psalmist in prayer. “Father, arise in me today. Show me where You are already at work that I might join You there. Accomplish Your own purpose in me and through me. Lord, arise in those around me today. Persuade those far from You to come near. Arise, O God, that we might see Your hand at work in our world. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV)

From: October 2, 2016

Like an olympic runner stretching for the finish line, the apostle Paul “strained forward” towards the future “goal” in Christ. He didn’t let his past predict his future, but focused on the goal of Christ. Some live in the past, living a life of regret or remembering past glories or failures. Others live as dreamers, always searching for the gold at the end of some distant rainbow. But Paul had a singular focus to follow and be with Christ. Have you yet made Jesus the object of your faith, the one you worship and follow, your all in all?

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7 NKJV)

From: October 2, 2015

Paul listed the personal achievements that he had attained before following Christ and then described them as “loss” in comparison. Paul had quite an impressive resume, if anyone had reason to boast, he did. Yet, he chose to count it as nothing compared to knowing and following Jesus. He understood that following Jesus meant leaving your former life behind. What have you left to follow Jesus? What have you “counted loss for Christ?”

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8a NLT)

From: October 2, 2014

Paul was one of the most brilliant minds of his generation, yet he counted human knowledge worthless when weighed against the “value of knowing” Christ. Truth is not a philosophy or equation, it is a Person. Decide to know Jesus. Let Him be the criterion for knowing, the lens by which you interpret reality. Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6).

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12)

From: October 2, 2013

Paul knew that he belonged to Christ, yet he pursued knowing all of Christ that belonged to him. We come to Christ saying, “I am His and He is mine.” Yet, we don’t fully understand either. Perhaps we partially grasp that we are His to some degree. But that Christ is ours, is mine? That all that Christ is and owns is now mine? His love, His wisdom, His relationship with the Father, His future in heaven, His resurrection, His … all mine? Like Paul, “I press on to make it my own.”

“And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control” (Philippians 3:20-21)

From: October 2, 2012

This is what we believe, that the Resurrected One will return and our bodies will be changed to be like His. Christ is the firstborn (prototokos) from among the dead, the prototype. Those who believe will have a glorious body like His! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2)

From: October 2, 2011

God lifts up those who bow down. He applauds the one who is fearfully moved by His Word. What is your response to hearing the Word? Those in whom the Spirit resides tremble like a leaf blown by the wind when God speaks.