Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for December 10

DOES JESUS HAVE YOUR FIRST LOVE?

From: December 10, 2023

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” (Revelation 2:4 NLT).

John’s revelation began with seven letters from Jesus to seven churches. Each letter mentioned something specific to the city in which the church was located. Most of the letters began with a commendation followed by a correction. This was the case with the first letter, which was written to Ephesus. Jesus commended their hard work and endurance, but He warned them that their love for Him had waned. He instructed them to repent and return to Him as their first love.

Don’t you find it amazing that Jesus cares about our love? He commends our service for Him, yet He cares deeply about our affection. Dear believer, do you love Jesus with first priority today?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You first loved us and sent Your Son as an atonement for our sins. We love You because You first loved us. Now, help us to be motivated by that same love. Pour out Your agape love in us through Your Spirit. We want to do all things motivated by our love for Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT).

From: December 10, 2022

DIRECTIONAL VISION MUST BE AGREED UPON

The Lord gave the prophet Amos a list of proverbial questions to ask of Israel and Judah. Each of them beg an obvious negative response. The first proverb concerned their walk with God. The Lord essentially asked, “Can you claim to have My presence when you walk so contrary to Me?” The obvious answer? “No.”

The Lord pictured Himself as one of two people, with the other representing His chosen ones. Yet, they no longer walked with Him. Although they claimed God’s presence, their walk and talk proved otherwise.

This proverb stands as an important leadership principle. Directional unity must be agreed upon, otherwise, eventual division and disunity is inevitable. It may look as if you are walking together, but after a while, your paths will diverge.

The wise recognize the necessity of visional unity. The one who would walk together with God, must constantly listen to and agree to His voice and vision.

The one who would lead God’s people, must clearly cast the vision, so that everyone understands it and can follow it. Writing it down helps. As the Lord told the prophet Habakkuk, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it” (Hab. 2:2).

And leaders must constantly check the unity of the flock. For sheep are prone to wander.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we want to follow Your direction. Where You go, we will follow. Forgive us when we get distracted or stray. We want to always stay focused on following You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4 HCSB).

From: December 10, 2021

DOES JESUS HAVE YOUR FIRST LOVE?

John’s revelation began with seven letters from Jesus to seven churches. Each letter mentioned something specific to the city in which the church was located. Most of the letters began with a commendation followed by a correction. This was the case with the first letter, which was written to Ephesus. Jesus commended their hard work and endurance, but He warned them that their love for Him had waned. He instructed them to repent and return to Him as their first love.

Don’t you find it amazing that Jesus cares about our love? He commends our service for Him, yet He cares deeply about our affection. Dear believer, do you love Jesus with priority today?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You first loved us and sent Your Son as a propitiation for our sins. We love You because You first loved us. Now, help us to be motivated by that same love. Pour out Your agape love in us through Your Spirit. We want to do all things motivated by love for Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b NKJV).

From: December 10, 2020

WILL YOU BE FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH?

The Lord Jesus dictated letters to be sent to the seven churches in Asia Minor via the apostle John. In His letter to the church of Smyrna, Jesus warned them of an upcoming time of suffering and tribulation. He called them to “be faithful until death,” reminding them that He would give them a “crown of life.”

This reminds me of the traditional marriage vows, which most English-speaking couples repeated on their wedding day since 1549. That’s when the vows were first published in the “Common Book of Prayer,” by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. I remember repeating these vows on my wedding day: “I, Gary, take thee, Robin, to be my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance.” We both committed to be faithful to one another until death.

It was as if Jesus was asking the Church of Smyrna to remember their wedding vows to Him as His bride. For the Bride of Christ is one of the images of the Church in the Scriptures. The apostle John reported that an angel of the Lord invited him to see the Lamb of God’s wife, which is the church, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9).

Jesus has already proven His fidelity to us. He was faithful until death, taking our sins upon Himself, that we might become His righteousness. He calls us to be faithful until death to Him and He will give us the crown of life.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help us to finish well. As we get older, help us to be faithful. Strengthen us to grow in our faithfulness to Your Son that we would be faithful until death. For we have been promised a crown of life and we want to keep our wedding vows to our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first” (Revelation 2:4 NLT).

From: December 10, 2019

JESUS CARES ABOUT OUR LOVE

John’s revelation began with seven letters from Jesus to seven churches. Each letter mentioned something specific to the city in which the church was located. Most of the letters began with a commendation followed by a correction. This was the case with the first letter, which was written to Ephesus. Jesus commended their hard work and endurance, but He warned them that their love for Him had waned. He instructed them to repent and return to Him as their first love.

Don’t you find it amazing that Jesus cares about our love? He commends our service for Him, yet He cares deeply about our affection. Dear believer, do you love Jesus with priority today?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You first loved us and sent Your Son as a propitiation for our sins. We love You because You first loved us. Now, help us to be motivated by that same love. Pour out Your agape love in us through Your Spirit. We want to do all things motivated by love for Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT).

From: December 10, 2018

THE NECESSITY OF VISIONAL UNITY

The Lord gave the prophet Amos a list of proverbial questions to ask of Israel and Judah. Each of them beg an obvious negative response. The first proverb concerned their walk with God. The Lord essentially asked, “Can you claim to have My presence when you walk so contrary to Me?” The obvious answer? “No.”

The Lord pictured Himself as one of two people, with the other representing His chosen ones. Yet, they no longer walked with Him. Although they claimed God’s presence, their walk and talk proved otherwise.

This proverb stands as an important leadership principle. Directional unity must be agreed upon, otherwise, eventual division and disunity is inevitable. It may look as if you are walking together, but after a while, your paths will diverge.

The wise recognize the necessity of visional unity. The one who would walk together with God, must constantly listen to and agree to His voice and vision. The one who would lead in God’s name, must constantly check the unity of the flock. For sheep are always prone to wander.

“Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20 NKJV).

From: December 10, 2017

Listen and think before talking. The book of James, which is sometimes called the “Proverbs of the New Testament,” advises: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

Try listening more and talking less today. Who knows what you’ll learn.

“The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1 ESV)

From: December 10, 2016

God often calls preachers, prophets and kings from obscure places. The prophet Amos was a simple, shepherd living about twelve miles South of Jerusalem near the small town of Tekoa. He was a country boy, but God called him from the pasture to the palace to proclaim the Word of God before kings. Where did he get his message? The Scripture says, “he saw,” meaning he received his message in a vision from God. God still calls the small and the simple to proclaim His Word. He still calls country boys like Amos to preach to the countries of the world.

“The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1 NKJV)

From: December 10, 2015

God often calls preachers, prophets and kings from obscure places. The prophet Amos was a simple, herdsman living about twelve miles South of Jerusalem near the small town of Tekoa. He was a country boy, but God called him from the pasture to the palace to proclaim the Word of God before kings. Where did he get his message? The Scripture says, “he saw,” meaning he received his message in a vision from God. God still calls the small and the simple to proclaim His Word.

“Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7 NLT)

From: December 10, 2014

The Spirit of God inspired the prophet Amos to warn Israel and Judah and the surrounding nations of God’s coming judgment. He also revealed God’s heart to Amos by explaining that God always warns us beforehand, so we have opportunity to repent. The people did not listen to Amos, nor the other prophets of that day and they were overthrown. Today, God has revealed His plans for the future return of King Jesus to judge the living and the dead. Yet, many go about their business as if the warning had not been sounded. We live in the day of God’s grace, the day of redemption. But God has warned us through His prophets that there is coming a day of judgment. God has not hidden His plans from us.