Encouragement Matters
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, Encouragement matters! You were not created to do life alone. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — made Adam to need Eve and Eve to need Adam. We called Abraham to be the father of a nation, not a solo person of faith. That nation was Israel, and we formed Israel to be the redeeming influence on the world. Our intent was never that Israel would be a race that retreated from the world, but We called Israel to lead the world to faith in Us. Israel didn’t fulfill that mission, but then I came as God in the flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. I did not live My life alone or conduct My ministry alone; I had many disciples. I called twelve apostles to be close to Me. I even had three disciples who were very close to me. Their names were Peter, James, and John. I shared some very important moments with them and them alone. I had a group of women who were close to Me, who helped support My ministry, and who accompanied My apostles as they followed Me. The point is, My precious one, I did not do life alone. Even with My close relationship with the Father as the Son of God, I entered into fellowship and companionship with people. After My death and resurrection, I poured out the Holy Spirit on My disciples at Pentecost. Peter preached a message that called on people to turn to Me in repentance, to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and to be added to My new people of faith (Acts 2:38-47). Immediately this group of followers began to meet publicly in big groups and in homes as small groups. The point is that they knew they needed to do life together as My spiritual family. In your New Testament, you will see My church referred to as a family (Galatians 6:10; Hebrews 2:11) and as My bodily presence on earth (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30). These two images are more than symbolic as they speak to the truth of your need for each other and for your connectedness with each other. After the writer of Hebrews had finished his detailed explanation of the new covenant, he returned to his main purpose in writing his “word of exhortation” (Hebrews 13:22): he encouraged My disciples not to forsake meeting together. They needed each other, and they needed to encourage each other. Then he gave a series of examples of ordinary people with great faith. These were My people, and they are your spiritual ancestors. He used these great stories of faith to be the motivation for his target audience to be faithful. In fact, he emphasized that the faith of these great heroes of faith didn’t accomplish its clear objective if My disciples didn’t live out their faith in their day: These, though commended by God for their great faith, did not receive what was promised. That promise has awaited us, who receive the better thing that God has provided in these last days, so that with us, our forebears might finally see the promise completed. (Hebrews 11:39-40) Yesterday’s explanation of the better covenant emphasized My new covenant with you. This covenant is built on My better and once-forever sacrifice making Me a better High Priest. This teaching spoke to the disciples’ intellect, to their heads. Today’s examples and exhortations, however, appealed to their hearts, their emotions, and passions. After these examples and exhortations, the writer included these words: So since we stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us. Now stay focused on Jesus, Who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honor. Consider the life of the One Who endured such personal attacks and hostility from sinners so that you will not grow weary or lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3) Encouragement matters. You need it. Even in those few times in your life when you may not need encouragement to persevere, others around you will. So encourage each other. Be encouraged by your heroes of the faith — both living and those who have long been with Jesus. Don’t lose heart and don’t let your brothers and sisters in faith lose heart. Your encouragement of each other matters! Verses to Live As you read today’s verses, hear first the importance of getting together with other believers. Encourage each other to live My life before your watching world. Then, I want you to be blessed and encouraged by the great examples of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. Remember, these are not “Bible characters” who are somehow different from you. These are simply everyday folks, ordinary characters, who lived by faith to honor the Father. They are in the Bible because of that faith, not because they were somehow better than anyone else. You, too, can be in the Father’s faith hall of fame if you will stay connected with My other followers and encourage each other to live faithfully for Me! Since we have a great High Priest Who presides over the house of God, let us draw near with true hearts full of faith, with hearts rinsed clean of any evil conscience, and with bodies cleansed with pure water. Let us hold strong to the confession of our hope, never wavering, since the One Who promised it to us is faithful. Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 10:26
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. —1 Corinthians 10:26 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When we talk about giving to God and the work of God, we must remember that all we have is his. He doesn’t need our gifts to do his work in the world — after all, he made all creation without us. On the other hand, we need to share the blessings he has entrusted to us because he commanded us to do so and because we are most like God when we give and forgive. What we ‘have’ isn’t really ours; it’s all his, entrusted to us to be put into useful service to others for God’s work and God’s glory, so others may see it and know: “Correct me, LORD, but only with justice — not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.” My Prayer… Almighty God and Creator of the universe, we praise your creative genius revealed through the incredible variety found in your creation. Please be with us, your human children and Jesus’ disciples, as we seek to be faithful stewards of this beautiful gift and the many others you have lavished on us. We want to be the conduits of your blessing to those around us by being generous and reflecting your grace displayed in giving, forgiving, and creating. In Jesus’ name, we pray to grow in the grace of giving as we recognize your glory in the creation you have shared with us. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Don’t Let It Slip Away
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Vibrant faith is precious. Time, troubles, trials, and temptations can act as the devil’s acids to eat away at your faith until the passion of vibrant faith is eroded. Before long, passionate faith can become neglected faith and then ignored faith. One day you notice that your faith has slipped away from you. My writer of Hebrews first gently warned his readers about this problem with these words. (The words about faith slipping away are in bold while the words about avoiding this problem are underlined.) That is why we ought to pay even closer attention to the voice that has been speaking so that we will never drift away from it. For if the words of instruction and inspiration brought by heaven’s messengers were valid, and if we live in a universe where sin and disobedience receive their just rewards, then how will we escape destruction if we ignore this great salvation. (Hebrews 2:1-3) Later, this original warning to “pay even closer attention” was followed by a second warning to “pay close attention”: Brothers and sisters, pay close attention so you won’t develop an evil and unbelieving heart that causes you to abandon the living God. Encourage each other every day — for as long as we can still say “today” — so none of you let the deceitfulness of sin harden your hearts. For we have become partners with the Anointed One — if we can just hold on to our confidence until the end. (Hebrews 3:12-14) This second warning is a little stronger. It describes the process of developing “an evil and unbelieving heart that causes you to abandon the living God”. Notice the progression that can lead to total erosion of faith: The deceitfulness of sin. Hardening of the heart. Developing an evil and unbelieving heart. Abandoning the living God. Importantly, in the warnings above, the writer of Hebrews reminds you that there are faith agents that can help neutralize the devil’s efforts to erode your faith. The following faith agents are themes that run through the book of Hebrews: Pay close attention to your faith, the promises of God, the great sacrifice that I made for you, and the great salvation you have received. Involve yourself in a family of believers where you can encourage each other daily. Remember that you are partners with Me in the great work of redemption and the coming glory. Intentionally hold on to your confidence in Me, in your faith in Me, and in the promises you have in Me. Trust in your victory, confidently assured by My victory over sin, death, and hell. Verses to Live In the following verses, the author of Hebrews shares more warnings (again emphasized in bold). These strong and shocking warnings come after the warnings discussed above. They talk about what happens when people are not maturing in their faith and their service and actually reach the point when they “abandon the living God”! As harsh as these warnings are, I want you to notice that in these warnings, the writer emphasizes his confidence that the disciples who hear his message will not come to such a bitter and destructive disaster with their faith. The author gave the warnings to wake up My disciples from their lethargy and told them things to do (highlighted by underlining) to avoid or come out of their lethargy. He was confident that these warnings would work and that My disciples would respond. I am confident that the warnings will have the same effect on you, dear disciple. I do not want Satan’s acids to eat away the vibrancy of your faith. Instead, I want the warnings to stir your heart and call you to trust fully in the power of the Holy Spirit to rekindle the vibrancy and passion of your faith and your promise of “such a great salvation”! I have a lot more to say about this [blessing of having Jesus as your great High Priest], but it may be hard for you to follow since you’ve become dull in your understanding. By this time, you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet I feel like you want me to reteach you the most basic things that God wants you to know. It’s almost like you’re a baby again, coddled at your mother’s breast, nursing, not ready for solid food. No one who lives on milk alone can know the ins and outs of what it means to be righteous and pursue justice; that’s because he is only a baby. But solid food is for those who have come of age, for those who have learned through practice to distinguish good from evil. So let’s push on toward a more perfect understanding and move beyond just the basic teachings of the Anointed One. There’s no reason to rehash the fundamentals: repenting from what you loved in your old dead lives, believing in God as our Creator and Redeemer, teaching about baptism, setting aside those called to service through the ritual laying on of hands, the coming resurrection of those who have died, and God’s final judgment of all people for all time. No, we will move on toward perfection, if God wills it. It is impossible to restore the changed heart of the one who has fallen from faith — who has already been enlightened, has tasted the gift of new life from God, has shared in the power of the Holy Spirit, and has known the goodness of God’s revelation and the powers of the coming age. If such a person falls away, it’s as though that one were crucifying the Son of God all over again and holding Him up to ridicule. You see, God blesses the ground that drinks of the rain and then produces a bountiful crop for those who cultivate it. But land that produces nothing but thorns and brambles? That land is worthless and in danger of being cursed, burned to the bare earth.
Today’s Verse – Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. —Hebrews 10:25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Going to church” isn’t very attractive phrase to many folks. This reality shouldn’t surprise us. Doing things as an act of discipline isn’t very popular and often isn’t easy. Plus, doing things for others doesn’t always fill our hearts with joy — although it probably should. On top of these realities is another spiritual reality that may be even more important: “going to church” is a concept nowhere found in Scripture — church is not a place we go, but something we are! The Holy Spirit’s message in our Verse of the Day reminds us that WE need to be with God’s people because they need us to encourage, bless, and motivate them! Church is a gathering of Jesus’ disciples to honor him and bless each other. The LORD would prefer us to think of encouragement, comfort, and exhortation as being church rather than gathering in a box we fill to worship him. But don’t misrepresent this truth. The Holy Spirit isn’t saying we can skip out on gathering together. He is commanding the opposite. “Assemble! Don’t quit meeting together,” the Spirit commands us here. Where we meet isn’t nearly as important as gathering together and blessing each other when we regularly meet. Each of us needs encouragement to keep living for Jesus as his return grows ever nearer! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, please bless the group of Christians with whom I regularly meet. Bless them through my words, attitude, and influence as we walk beside and encourage each other to honor you. Stir me to bless your disciples and encourage them to live for Jesus as we await his return. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
I Came to Help You!
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved Sibling, Yes, I know some of you who read this have trouble thinking of Me as your older brother. Through the Father’s grace, that is Who I AM to you. I taught My disciples to pray to “Our Father…” (Matthew 6:9). As My beloved writer of Hebrews emphasized in the verses you will read today, My disciples are also My “brothers and sisters.” You have been born into My family (John 3:5-8). I “took on flesh and blood” and lived among you, as one of you so you could be part of My family. My concern was not for My comfort and prestige. My focus was not on any heavenly messenger or angel. My concern was for you. My focus was on those I wanted to become My brothers and sisters. I came to honor the Father and to “destroy the one who held power over death.” I came to free you from fear. I came to share your world. I came to assure you that you could come to the Father through Me and always “find mercy and grace to help when [you] need it most”! I AM your great High Priest. I not only offered a sacrifice for you, but I offered Myself as the once-for-all-time atoning sacrifice for your sin. I brought “reconciliation” between you and the Father. I AM your great High Priest. I AM now “approaching God on behalf of” you. I AM your great High Priest. I AM acquainted with “suffering.” Like you, I also offered up “prayers and pleas, groans and tears” to the Father. As your great High Priest, I can promise you these things: You don’t have to fear death. I have conquered death and the devil who uses it to wound and maim and destroy. Your sin is forgiven. You stand before God as righteous and holy. You can be sure that I can help you when you are tested. I was tested as you are, yet I did not sin. When you are facing trials and temptations — even if you succumb to these temptations and sin — you can come with confidence to the “throne of grace.” You can come confidently knowing that you will “find mercy and grace to help when [you] need it most.” Verses to Live Today’s readings come from chapters 2, 5, and 4 in your book of Hebrews. I have put them in this order so you can have a deeper appreciation of what it means for Me to be your merciful and faithful High Priest! Read these passages in this order several times. The first time, jot down all I did and endured to experience mortality. You can be confident that I understand human weakness, not just as God the Son Who is omniscient, but as a mortal man, God in human flesh. Now, when you read through these verses again, jot down all that they mean for you as you approach the Father seeking grace. It only makes sense that God, by Whom and for Whom everything exists, would choose to bring many of us to His side by using suffering to perfect Jesus, the founder of our faith, the pioneer of our salvation. As I will show you, it’s important that the One Who brings us to God and those who are brought to God become one, since we are all from one Father. This is why Jesus was not ashamed to call us His family [His brothers and sisters], saying, in the words of the psalmist, I will speak Your Name to My brothers and sisters when I praise You in the midst of the community. And in the words of Isaiah, I will wait for the Eternal One. And again, Look, here I am with the children God has given Me. Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death — the devil — and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive. So notice — His concern here is not for the welfare of the heavenly messengers, but for the children of Abraham. He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people. Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested. (Hebrews 2:10-18) The job of every high priest is reconciliation: approaching God on behalf of others and offering Him gifts and sacrifices to repair the damage caused by our sins against God and each other. The high priest should have compassion for those who are ignorant of the faith and those who fall out of the faith because he also has wrestled with human weakness, and so the priest must offer sacrifices both for his sins and for those of the people. … When Jesus was on the earth, a man of flesh and blood, He offered up prayers and pleas, groans and tears to the One Who could save Him from death. He was heard because He approached God with reverence. Although He was a Son, Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered. And once He was perfected through that suffering He became the way of eternal salvation for all those who hear and follow Him, for God appointed Him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:1-3; Hebrews 5:7-10) Since we have a great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God Who has passed through the heavens from death into new life with God, let us hold tightly to our faith. For Jesus is not some high priest who has no sympathy for our weaknesses and flaws. He has already been tested in every way that we are tested; but He emerged victorious, without failing God.
Today’s Verse – Jeremiah 10:24
Correct me, LORD, but only with justice — not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. —Jeremiah 10:24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jeremiah frequently struggled with the hard message the LORD gave him to communicate to God’s people. He often wept over and complained to God about what he was given to communicate. While he knew he was wrong to complain, he begged the LORD to correct him with justice and mercy, not anger and punishment. This request reminds me of a similar request a good friend regularly makes of the LORD when he prays, recognizing his own weaknesses and failings: “Humble me gently, Father,” he often prays. Our transformation, which requires correction and grace, is hard work and requires even more patience on God’s part than on our part. So we thank God for his grace, which lets us admit our sin and yet still come into his holy and awesome presence, knowing he will be both just and merciful, righteous and gracious. Thankfully, the LORD doesn’t treat us as we deserve but as we need (Psalm 103:1-22). We, too, can pray, “Correct me, LORD, but only with justice — not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.” My Prayer… Dear God, I sin. I don’t like it when I sin, but I still find myself succumbing to some of my long-standing weaknesses. Please correct me and put me on the path of righteousness, dear Father, but please humble me gently, not correcting me in your anger but in transforming me by your discipline and grace. Even more than wanting to please you, dear Father, I want to honor you even more. So please, gently and consistently rid my heart of duplicity, deceit, and spiritual weakness. Nurture me in holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Better!
Note from Jesus Dear Child of the Father, Today you begin a short journey through the wonderful “word of exhortation” (Hebrews 13:22) you call the book of Hebrews. This special document is a collection of short exhortations built upon the comparison of Old Covenant images with their fulfillment in the New Covenant brought by My sacrifice on the cross, by My resurrection, and through My pouring out the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and subsequently to you also. Notice the word “better” when you read this “word of exhortation.” It occurs repeatedly in later sections of Hebrews to refer to Me and the salvation that I offer. I brought the world a “better” covenant, built on “better” promises and leading to a “better” hope, provided by a “better” and once-for-all sacrifice so that I could become a “better” high priest for My people and ensure a “better” Sabbath rest for the people of God. Today’s verses come from the first two chapters of the book of Hebrews. Even though the word “better” is not used in today’s verses, they nevertheless have a clear message: I AM “better” than the angels or “heavenly messengers.” I bring a “better,” complete, fulfilled, and incarnated message from the Father. I came as the Father’s Son. I was God’s very presence among you (Matthew 1:23). I am superior to the angels who brought the first covenant and who were part of many messengers involved in the Old Covenant. As the Son, I came and brought the Father’s greatest and final message. No messenger compares to Me as God’s Son. My chosen vessel who wrote Hebrews adds a powerful exhortation to this truth of My superiority. You must “pay even closer attention” to My message than to any message you have previously received. You don’t want to “drift away” from this message and ignore the “great salvation”! To “ignore” this message would invite your own “destruction”! Verses to Live Hebrews is not only a “word of exhortation,” but it is also a message of urgency. It is a spiritual alarm clock sent to warn those who heard its message to awaken from their spiritual slumber. They needed to shake off their spiritual lethargy because of the better things they had received from Me. I hope you will hear the same alarm. I want you to awaken to the “better” things that I have planned for you. Long ago, at different times and in various ways, God’s voice came to our ancestors through the Hebrew prophets. But in these last days, it has come to us through His Son, the One Who has been given dominion over all things and through Whom all worlds were made. This is the One Who — imprinted with God’s image, shimmering with His glory — sustains all that exists through the power of His word. He was seated at the right hand of God once He Himself had made the offering that purified us from all our sins. This Son of God is elevated as far above the heavenly messengers [angels] as His holy name is elevated above theirs. For no heavenly messengers have ever heard God address them with these words of the psalms: You are My Son. Today I have become Your Father. Or heard Him promise, I will be to You a Father, and You will be My Son. Now, when the Son, the firstborn of God, was brought into the world, God said, Let all My heavenly messengers worship Him. … And God continues, In the beginning, You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth and set the skies above us with Your own hands. But while they will someday pass away, You remain forever; when they wear out like old clothes, You will roll them up and change them into something new. But You will never change; Your years will never come to an end. Did God ever say to any of the heavenly messengers, Sit here, at My right hand, in the seat of honor; and I’ll put all Your enemies under Your feet? No, of course not. The heavenly messengers are only spirits and servants, sent out to minister to those who will certainly inherit salvation. That is why we ought to pay even closer attention to the voice that has been speaking so that we will never drift away from it. For if the words of instruction and inspiration brought by heaven’s messengers were valid, and if we live in a universe where sin and disobedience receive their just rewards, then how will we escape destruction if we ignore this great salvation? We heard it first from our Lord Jesus, then from those who passed on His teaching. God also testifies to this truth by signs and wonders and miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit lighting on those He chooses. (Hebrews 1:1-6; Hebrews 1:10-14; Hebrews 2:1-4) Response in Prayer O Father, I recognize that Jesus is Your greatest messenger Who brings Your greatest message. I commit to hearing that message and respond with urgency and passion. Open my eyes to Your truth in this interesting and challenging “word of exhortation.” I ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding and applying its important messages to my life as I live to honor You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24
“Everything is permissible” — but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” — but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. —1 Corinthians 10:23-24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Freedom is a wonderful gift! Freedom in Christ is more significant than any other kind of freedom. God entrusts it to us. But we don’t want to use our freedom to impinge on someone else’s freedom or damage their faith. We don’t want our liberty to cause others to sin or to lose sight of Christ. So, let’s use our freedom wisely and redemptively — only to use it for what is “beneficial” and “constructive”! My Prayer… Precious God and Almighty Father, thank you for the many gifts you have poured into our lives as Jesus’ followers. We especially want to thank you for our spiritual freedom in Jesus. Please empower us to use our freedom to bless and build others up — to be “beneficial” and “constructive” to other believers. Rather than bringing glory to ourselves by exercising our freedom, we want to encourage and bless others, especially new and weak believers. Please help us see others as the place of your work in the world and lead us to join you in that work in the ways we use our freedom and also in the way we withhold it from ourselves. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Be Faithful!
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, I want you to feel the urgency in today’s words that Paul wrote to Timothy. They come from the last of Paul’s writings to his son in the faith. These words plead for Timothy to join Paul in his life of faith in two specific ways: Be faithful to the call he had received to proclaim My message and do it with truth and passion. Join Paul in his last days so that he could be of assistance to Paul and so that these days could have an impact on the lost world and strengthen new churches to live for Me and the kingdom of God. Paul was realistic but not pessimistic about the future awaiting him. He was fully confident in My coming with power and glory. This faith in Me helped him to remain loyal to Me, to be strong in his faith, to be inspired by the Scriptures, and to be faithful even to death. He was urging Timothy to be faithful, too. As Paul often did at the end of his letters, he mentioned people who were both faithful and unfaithful to him and to Me. This is just another way for Paul to appeal to Timothy’s heart and challenge him to do the following: [S]tay focused and be alert at all times. Accomplish the good work of an evangelist, and complete the ministry to which you [Timothy] have been called. [L]ove and long for His [My] appearing. Come to me [Paul] … as soon as you can. Bring Mark with you because he is useful in this work and will help look after me. [P]ick up the cloak I [Paul] left with Carpus in Troas, and bring the scrolls — especially the parchments. [W]atch your back because he [Alexander the metal worker] has gone overboard to oppose our message. Give my regards to Prisca, Aquila, and everyone over at Onesiphorus’s house. At first glance, these excerpts from the verses below appear to be miscellaneous instructions and requests thrown in at the end of a letter. However, look closely, and you will see Paul’s focus on being faithful in every area of life: to all the people in his life, to the ministry he had been called to complete, and to the people to whom I had called him to mentor and serve. Most of all, Paul finished with a reminder of how I was faithful to him even when everyone else abandoned him: He [Me, Jesus] stood by me, strengthened me, and backed the truth I proclaimed with power… Paul’s example of faithfulness was a challenge for Timothy to be faithful in every area of his life, his relationships, and his ministry. I want it to be a challenge to you to be faithful in every area of your life as well! Verses to Live Are you a faithful person? Do you live up to your word? Do you stand by your friends? Are you committed to faithfully living out your commitments to Me? I hope Paul’s words to Timothy challenge you to be faithful in every area of your life and ministry. Be faithful! And now I bring you this charge before God and Jesus the Anointed, the one destined to judge the living and the dead, at His glorious appearance and His kingdom: go out and preach the word! Go whether it’s an opportune time or not! Reprove, warn, and encourage; but do so with all the patience and instruction needed to fulfill your calling because a time will come when some will no longer tolerate sound teaching. Instead, they will live by their own desires; they’ll scratch their itching ears by surrounding themselves with teachers who approve of their lifestyles and tell them what they want to hear. They will turn away from the real truth you have to offer because they prefer the sound of fables and myths. But you must stay focused and be alert at all times. Tolerate suffering. Accomplish the good work of an evangelist, and complete the ministry to which you have been called. For I am already being poured out, and the last drops of this drink offering are all that remain; it’s almost time for me to leave. I have fought the good fight, I have stayed on course and finished the race, and through it all, I have kept believing. I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness that the Lord — the always right and just judge — will give me that day (but it is not only for me, but for all those who love and long for His appearing). Come to me, Timothy, as soon as you can. You see, Demas has fallen for this world, abandoned me, and headed off to Thessalonica. Crescens took off for Galatia. Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one left. Bring Mark with you because he is useful in this work and will help look after me. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. On your way here, pick up the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, and bring the scrolls — especially the parchments. Keep your eye out for Alexander the coppersmith! He came against me with all sorts of evil — may the Lord pay him back accordingly — so watch your back because he has gone overboard to oppose our message. When it was time for my first defense, no one showed up to support me. Everyone abandoned me (may it not be held against them) except the Lord. He stood by me, strengthened me, and backed the truth I proclaimed with power so it may be heard by all the non-Jews. He rescued me, pried open the lion’s jaw, and snatched me from its teeth. And I know the Lord will continue to rescue me from every trip, trap, snare, and pitfall of evil and carry me safely to His heavenly kingdom. May He be glorified throughout eternity.
Today’s Verse – Matthew 10:22
“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” —Matthew 10:22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Wow! Jesus’ words are emphatic and decisive! He chose these challenging words because his followers — that’s us today — must realize they will not be the dominant or accepted culture during most of the world’s history. Discipleship is difficult and demanding; most folks want things simple and easy. The values Jesus called his disciples to embody are generally unfavorable to the dominant cultures of our world. “So, be ready!” Jesus was essentially telling us. “Be ready to face criticism and rejection.” While we know life as a disciple may be an uphill battle to change the hearts of men and women of the world, with the Spirit’s help, we can be God’s tools to bless others and lead them closer to him! Jesus called us to do that throughout his teaching and example during his earthly ministry (Matthew 5:11-16). Salvation in all its glory awaits us at our journey’s end. Hopefully, we will influence others to join us in our journey to Jesus despite the opposition of those who reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ! My Prayer… Forgive us, dear Father, for we have often grown impatient with the world around us and started seeing it as the enemy rather than our target for your grace. Please give us the wisdom and the courage to balance our understanding of the world with your passion to redeem it through Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.