Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 9:22
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. —1 Corinthians 9:22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Christ left heaven, became one of us, endured the worst from us, and served us to save us. Paul sacrificed everything to share the Gospel with both Jews and Gentiles and be able to save some. What have we done… what have we left… what have we given up… what have we endured… what have we done to become someone better able to share Jesus with those we love, know, or influence? Even more, what have we done to reach the lost, whom we don’t know, and who are not like us so that they can follow Jesus? Let’s do whatever it takes to follow Paul’s example and his description of Jesus as his example: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8). My Prayer… Father of mercy, God Almighty, so rich in steadfast love, please give me eyes to see those around me who need Jesus, empower me with the courage and the humility to share his grace, and bless me with the sense of timing to share Jesus with them when they are ready to know of his love. I want to do everything possible to win as many as possible, especially those whose hearts are ready to know Jesus. In his 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.
Arrested to Serve and to Save
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Paul’s long anticipated return to Jerusalem finally happened. He arrived in Jerusalem accompanied by Christians from the churches in Asia Minor and Europe. They came with Paul to bless their impoverished Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ and to be able to report back to their churches that the contributions for the poor in Jerusalem were used as intended. Along the way, Paul had been repeatedly warned by friends and by the Holy Spirit that trouble, hardship, danger, and arrest awaited him (Acts 20:22-25; Acts 21:4; Acts 21:10-14). In an attempt to keep the peace with the Jewish people of Jerusalem and to preserve the fragile peace the Jewish Christians enjoyed with their fellow Israelites, Paul followed a suggestion that James and the elders in Jerusalem made. He went to the temple with other Jewish Christians to show he still respected his heritage. However, some people from Asia Minor who hated Paul were at the temple. They had previously seen Paul with a fellow named Trophimus, who was a Gentile from Ephesus. They wrongly assumed Paul had taken Trophimus into the Jewish-only portion of the temple compound. A Gentile in this portion of the temple was an offense punishable by death under both Roman and Jewish law. So in their fury, they seized Paul. They screamed for others to help them beat Paul to death. Roman soldiers rushed to the scene and arrested Paul. However, the riot had grown so intense that the soldiers had to carry him to safety. Paul had invested so much of himself in the Gentile churches’ collection for the poor Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. He had so hoped that this act of generosity would tear down the walls of race and prejudice that divided My church in many places in that day. Unfortunately, because of Paul’s association with Gentiles, his attempts at reconciliation blew up in his face as an ugly riotous mob of non-Christian Jews tried to kill him. Years earlier, on My last trip to Jerusalem before My crucifixion, I warned My disciples repeatedly about the hostile rejection, arrest, and crucifixion that awaited Me. Paul and others had warned that he would be rejected and arrested in Jerusalem. Just as I had gone to the temple to honor the Father, so had Paul. Just as I had met with the hostility of the people in the temple, so had Paul. What I said on My trip to Jerusalem still rang true in Paul’s day: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:37-39 NLT) My lament is similar to Paul’s words you read previously from the book of Romans — words that partially explain why Paul went to Jerusalem despite facing rejection and possible death. He wrote: With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed — cut off from Christ! — if that would save them. (Romans 9:1-3 NLT) Paul’s trip to Jerusalem wasn’t made because he was foolhardy or had a death wish. Paul went there because of the love he had for non-believing Jews, because of his desire to unite the world Christian movement beyond racial lines, and because he wanted to help impoverished Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. I share all this because I want you to notice that sometimes things don’t turn out as you would want. This undesired result can be true even when you have the best of motives. This outcome was true for Me on My last trip to Jerusalem. It was also true for Paul on his last trip to Jerusalem. Despite the disappointments and the apparent failure of Paul’s mission, the Holy Spirit worked to bring great good out of this awful situation. The Spirit used this shocking turn of events to enable Paul to testify before rulers and authorities and ultimately to get to Rome. So please, don’t give up in despair when your best efforts and your finest intentions end up in a mess. Satan wants to use your mess to destroy you. But I AM at work even when circumstances suggest that I have abandoned you. The Father is working for your good even when you can’t immediately see that good. Paul’s words of assurance ultimately were proved true for him on this visit to Jerusalem, and ultimately they will be proved true for you: We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. From the distant past, His eternal love reached into the future. You see, He knew those who would be His one day, and He chose them beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of a new family of believers, all brothers and sisters. Romans 8:28-29 What Paul promised to you, I accomplished and proved true for him. But that, My dear disciple, will be shown in more detail in our subsequent days together as we continue to remember Paul’s journey to Rome! Verses to Live Luke told this account of Paul’s arrest very matter-of-factly. So I want you to let your imagination catch you up into this story. Imagine yourself as one of the angry mob. How do you feel believing Paul had desecrated the holy temple of YHWH (the Hebrew for the name of God)? Imagine yourself as
Today’s Verse – Matthew 9:21
[A desperate and lonely woman who had been ill for years came to Jesus for healing after spending all her money on doctors who could not help her.] She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” —Matthew 9:21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The woman who said this to herself knew ostracism and loneliness because of her twelve-year bout with an illness that made her unclean under Jewish law. Her condition imprisoned her and made her life nearly unlivable socially, physically, and religiously. Just as Jesus freed her from her prison (vs. 22), he also longs to free you from yours. What holds you captive? Jesus longs to give you freedom through at least five gifts: The Scriptures to help you know God’s will and protect yourself from harm. Your surrender to his lordship as you let him lead you. Your cleansing from sin, guilt, and shame. The gift of the Holy Spirit to empower you, help you overcome sin, and become more like Jesus. His family of brothers and sisters to support you, encourage you, help you, and hold you accountable to your commitment to him. These are five of God’s precious keys to freedom. So, dear friend, in your heart, “touch his cloak” by reaching out to him, confessing him as your Savior, and honoring him as your LORD. My Prayer… Father, I pray today for all those who need deliverance from the evil one’s grip in whatever form he has in their lives. I confidently pray in Jesus’ mighty and holy name, asking that you, the LORD of all creation, to break the bonds that hold each of our readers captive to the evil one. 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.
The Heart of a Shepherd
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Disciple, Paul was finally on his way back to Jerusalem. His trip had been delayed because of the plots against his life. So he had gone back through Macedonia on his way to Troas instead of going to the province of Asia or straight to Syria. He also wanted to be with people he knew, loved, and trusted. He departed for Troas alone. He had sent Luke and his companions, along with the representatives from the congregations in Macedonia and Greece, ahead of him. These men were traveling with the special contributions from their congregations for needy brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Rather than go back through Ephesus where enemies were planning to kill him, Paul sent word for the Ephesian elders, the older male leaders of the church, to meet him at Miletus. This meeting was full of emotion. Paul reminded these brothers of his own way of life and how much he risked to share the good news of the kingdom with them. He reminded them that he personally taught them in their homes and in public venues. He hadn’t changed his message to protect himself but shared everything they needed to hear. Paul told the elders that despite knowing he faced danger, arrest, and persecution, he had to go to Jerusalem. His life was not worth anything to him if he did not fulfill his calling: The only value I [Paul] place on my life is that I may finish my race, that I may fulfill the ministry that Jesus our King has given me, that I may gladly tell the good news of God’s grace. He warned the Ephesian elders he would not see them again. He also warned them, as shepherds of the church that I bought with My blood, that false teachers would try to mislead the people — the flock of the Father — under their care. Through the emotion of the moment, he wanted them to recognize their high calling and feel their great responsibility. In this meeting with its deep emotion, Paul charged these leaders to be good shepherds — pastors. He told them to watch out for each other. He told them to shepherd and protect the flock of My sheep entrusted to their care. They must serve selflessly as Paul had served them. Then with a prayer filled with tears, these beloved brothers walked Paul to his ship and said goodbye. A disciple’s life is filled with goodbyes. Some of these goodbyes are the inevitable ones when losing someone in death. The loss hurts, but if that person is one of My disciples, the parting is only temporary. Some of these goodbyes are necessary because of My call on a disciple’s heart to fulfill a mission for Me. While this parting may lead to a final goodbye on earth, I can assure you that no one who faithfully does work in My name will lose his or her reward. Victory is assured. Reunion is certain. The future of each faithful servant is directly connected to My future. So while goodbyes may be filled with tears, remember that they are also filled with My promises of victory and reunion! Verses to Live Please read through these verses several times. On the first pass, notice the language of deep emotion and recognize how important it was for Paul to share this final message with these church leaders. The second time, look at the examples Paul gave of selfless ministry in his own life to guide these shepherds in their leadership. Finally, feel the strong pull of Paul’s sense of mission as it led him to face hardship and difficulties. As you read through this the final time, ask yourself what you are called to do with such emotion, urgency, and conviction! Again Paul wanted us to split up. He wanted to go by land by himself [from Troas] while we went by ship to Assos. There he came on board with us, and we sailed on to Mitylene. From there we sailed near Chios, passing by it the next day, docking briefly at Samos the day after that, then arriving at Miletus the following day. This route kept us safely out of Ephesus and didn’t require Paul to spend any time at all in Asia, since he wanted to arrive in Jerusalem quickly — before Pentecost, he hoped. In Miletus he sent word to the church in Ephesus, asking the elders to come down to meet with him. When they arrived, he talked with them. Paul: We will have many memories of our time together in Ephesus; but of all the memories, most of all I want you to remember my way of life. From the first day I arrived in Asia, I served the Lord with humility and tears, patiently enduring the many trials that came my way through the plots of my Jewish opponents. I did everything I could to help you; I held nothing back. I taught you publicly, and I taught you in your homes. I told everyone the same message — Jews and Greeks alike — that we must turn toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus the Anointed. Now I feel that the Holy Spirit has taken me captive. I am being led to Jerusalem. My future is uncertain, but I know — the Holy Spirit has told me — that everywhere I go from now on, I will find imprisonment and persecution waiting for me. But that’s OK. That’s no tragedy for me because I don’t cling to my life for my own sake. The only value I place on my life is that I may finish my race, that I may fulfill the ministry that Jesus our King has given me, that I may gladly tell the good news of God’s grace. I now realize that this is our last good-bye. You have been like family in all my travels to proclaim the kingdom of
Today’s Verse – Luke 9:20
“But what about you?” [Jesus asked his disciples]. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” —Luke 9:20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Many people had and still have widely varying opinions about Jesus’ identity. The real issue, however, is what YOU believe about Jesus and who Jesus reveals himself to be. What you decide about the identity of Jesus as God’s Son, the LORD and Christ, the Messiah of Israel, means everything for you (Romans 10:9-13) and those you seek to influence. So, please listen again to Jesus’ question to his disciples as if he is asking it of you: “Who do you say I am?” I pray that your answer is the same as Peter’s: “The Christ (the Messiah) of God.” Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, who is my LORD (Philippians 2:10-11), Savior (John 4:42), friend (John 4:14-15), and older brother (Hebrews 2:11, 14) in your family. I praise you for sending him to reveal yourself to us. I thank you for demonstrating your love for us through his death, burial, and resurrection. I do believe that Jesus is the Christ, your chosen Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and the only Savior who can bring freedom, pardon, cleansing, and complete salvation. Thank you! In Jesus’ mighty 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.
Transitions
Note from Jesus Dear Faithful Follower, Life is full of transitions and changes as well as ups and downs. For the apostle Paul, these types of things were certainly true during his ministry. In the verses below, he had just spent considerable time in Macedonia and Greece. He had written letters to the Romans and the Corinthians. He had strengthened churches. He had spent time with people he knew and loved. During this time, he was organizing an offering for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. Each church that was helping with this offering sent representatives with Paul to Jerusalem to convey their congregations’ love. They also were along to ensure the funds were handled and dispersed appropriately. This trip back to Jerusalem with these special gifts was important to Paul. He wanted to bring My family of believers together in spirit and fellowship even though they were scattered across the Mediterranean world and made up of different cultures and races of people. However, Paul had enemies who were determined to stop him. These enemies were from Asia, and especially Ephesus. They were Jewish people who were opposed to his preaching that I AM the Anointed One, the promised Messiah. Over the next several days, you will read about Paul’s journey to Jerusalem where these enemies started a riot and tried to have him killed. The Roman authorities arrested Paul and actually preserved his life when a mob attacked him in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36) and when his nephew heard of a plot to kill him (Acts 23:12-24). Paul subsequently used his Roman citizenship to defeat the conspiracies to have him killed and was thus able to have his case heard in Rome in Caesar’s court (Acts 25:8-12). Paul did eventually arrive in Rome, but it wasn’t in the manner he had hoped. During his wild sea journey to Rome, the Spirit delivered him from great danger and brought him safely to Rome. The whole ordeal in Jerusalem and the journey to Rome gave Paul many opportunities to tell a wide variety of people — both influential and obscure — about Me. Your readings will be full of intrigue, travel, danger, warning, opposition, deliverance, shipwreck, and imprisonment. During all of this upheaval and through all of these transitions, several things remained steadfast with Paul: His faith in Me as the ultimate Deliverer, Savior, Lord, and Messiah. His close fellowship with and love for believers and his sharing in close communion with them. His passion for mentoring and growing people from different churches to continue the work of the gospel after he was gone. His desire to tie the worldwide family of God together in fellowship, mission, and love. Verses to Live Today’s verses focus on the beginning of Paul’s transitioning to Jerusalem and ultimately to Rome. In every big movement of Paul’s life and travels, behind the scenes are tender moments of communion, fellowship, and miraculous grace. The same is true for you if you will watch for My influence in your life and live intentionally on the mission for me regardless of your job or life situation. Be blessed by this tender but powerful story of grace found in the middle of Paul’s travels, dangers, and transitions. Finding grace can happen when My people take the time to value and commune with each other as they remember Me! When the uproar [in Ephesus] was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 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. On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved. Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, while we traveled by ship. (Acts 20:1-13 NLT) Response in Prayer Father, please give me a sense of Your grace, the Spirit’s guidance, and Jesus’ abiding presence as I go through the transitions in my own life. As the old hymn says, “Be with me, Lord — I cannot live without Thee, I dare not try to take one step alone.” By the authority and in the name of Jesus, 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 9:19
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. —1 Corinthians 9:19 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Grace frees us from the law of sin and death. However, our freedom is not to be used selfishly — not for rebellion or self-gratification. Instead, we must use our liberty redemptively, just as Jesus did (Philippians 2:5-11). We can voluntarily limit that freedom to help others still caught in bondage to sin and false ideas about God. We can use the freedom of the Spirit to be transformed to be like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). We can honestly submit ourselves to the needs of those who don’t know Jesus to win some of them to the LORD and his grace (1 Corinthians 9:20-23). Let’s use our freedom to rejoice, redeem, and bless. My Prayer… Thank you, great and mighty LORD, for setting me free by your grace. I know, dear Father, you gave this gift to me at great cost to you — the humiliating torture, death, and burial of your Son, Jesus Christ. But you also raised him triumphantly from death! So use me, dear Father, to bless others who have not yet found their deliverance and freedom in Jesus so the Spirit can raise them triumphantly with Jesus to a fresh new life. I pray this in the name of my Savior, Jesus. 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.
Problem People
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, Yesterday’s note focused on valuing each person in the Father’s family. There are, however, some in the family who seem to be frequently stirring up trouble and leading others astray. Paul well described these people in the first paragraph of today’s verses. His words of wisdom are “spot on perfect”: “If there are people like that in your churches, stay away from them.” These people are as precious to Me as the ones mentioned yesterday, but until they humble themselves before Me, don’t give them an audience. Don’t let them weigh you down. Don’t feed their ego and appetite for attention. Stay away from people who want to divide and who lead you astray! Instead, celebrate the good in you and in your church family. Focus on the qualities that grow people and grow My family. As you do, the Father will send peace your way and will crush Satan under your feet. The evil one won’t be in your way, and the path you walk will lead you closer and closer to Me and to eternal glory with the Father. Notice how Paul ends his letter. I will shorten it so you see the main point: So to the One Who is able to strengthen you to live consistently with my good news and the preaching of Jesus, the Anointed… To the one true and wise God, we offer glory for all times through Jesus, the Anointed One. Amen. The Father will give you strength to live for Him. So bring your Father glory in how you live. As you live for the Father, I will bring your needs to His throne of grace in the presence of the angels until you can join Us at the Father’s throne in glory. Verses to Live Romans is an incredibly powerful and practical letter that speaks about the good news of the Father’s grace, My role as a sin offering, and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you. This letter is a message of hope for all people. So as you come to the end of it, I hope you will give thanks for Paul who wrote it. Also, give thanks for all those through the ages who have believed it. And finally, give thanks for the love We — Father, Son, and Spirit — have for you. Don’t let anyone rob you of this good news of grace and of its hope! I [Paul] am pleading with all of you, brothers and sisters, to keep up your guard against anyone who is causing conflicts and enticing others with teachings contrary to what you have already learned. If there are people like that in your churches, stay away from them. These kinds of people are not truly serving our Lord Jesus the Anointed; they have devoted their lives to satisfying their own appetites. With smooth talking and a well-rehearsed blessing, they lead a lot of unsuspecting people down the wrong path. The stories about the way you are living in obedience to God have traveled to all the churches. So celebrate your faithfulness to God that is being displayed in your lives — seek wisdom about the good life, and remain innocent when it comes to evil. If you do this, the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet soon. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, be ever present with you. Timothy, my coworker in the spreading of the gospel, also sends his greeting to all of you, as do my kinsmen, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater. I, Tertius, the one who wrote this letter for Paul, greet you in the name of the Lord. Gaius, my host here as well as patron for the whole church, sends his best to all of you. Erastus, the city administrator, sends his greetings along with brother Quartus. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, touch you all. Amen. So to the One Who is able to strengthen you to live consistently with my good news and the preaching of Jesus, the Anointed, with the revelation of the ancient mystery that has been kept secret since the earliest days, this mystery is revealed through the prophetic voices passed down in the Scriptures, as they have been commanded by the Eternal God. In this time, this mystery is being made known to the nations so that all may be led to faith-filled obedience. To the one true and wise God, we offer glory for all times through Jesus, the Anointed One. Amen (Romans 16:17-27) Response in Prayer Father, thank You for Paul and his passion for the gospel. Thank You for the grace on which my relationship with You is built. I ask that You strengthen me and every good work I am attempting to do for You. May my life bring You glory. 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 – Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. —Ecclesiastes 9:18 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Just a little leaven and the whole lump is changed (1 Corinthians 5:6). A sinful person can have the same effect, leaving an evil residue on an entire group of people committed to God. So let’s be wise and reverence God by obeying him and his Word. Let’s be insightful in the way we deal with sin and temptation in our lives. Let’s also remember that we are at war with the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-12) and do not even allow him the tiniest footholds. Then, let’s praise God because our Savior has already defeated our enemy, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to stand up to Satan’s attacks and resist his temptations. My Prayer… Loving Father, please give me wisdom to see through the deceptiveness of the devil’s schemes while I seek to live your truth and display your character in my life. Thank you for your power at work in me and in my life. 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.
Precious People
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, Has anyone told you lately you are precious? You are! You are a blood-bought child of the Father. I rescued you from sin, death, and hell because you are too precious to Me to live without you. I left heaven to reclaim you. You are precious. My apostle Peter said it this way: You know that a price was paid to redeem you from following the empty ways handed on to you by your ancestors; it was not paid with things that perish (like silver and gold), but with the precious blood of the Anointed [Jesus Christ], Who was like a perfect and unblemished sacrificial lamb. God determined to send Him before the world began, but He came into the world in these last days for your sake. (1 Peter 1:18-20) What you find in the verses below is a long list of people in Rome whom Paul greeted. As you go through this list, I hope you find it amazing. Paul had never visited Rome, yet he knew all these people. He knew that they were part of the church in Rome. He even mentioned specific areas of Christian service for about half of those listed. So here are some things I want to place on your heart as you consider some of the implications of this list of names. First, you live in an unprecedented time of travel and communication. When you travel, don’t take a vacation from My work and My people, but use your travel, whether business or pleasure, to bless My people and spread the gospel! Second, people are Our — Father, Son, and Spirit’s — most precious resource. Encourage them to be active in My church. Don’t fight over who can do what and who can have what role. Notice that both men and women are mentioned with important roles, responsibilities, and titles in Paul’s list. Don’t limit what people can do based on a distinction between clergy and laity whether it is a clergy of ordination, gender, or education. Don’t preen or pout about the titles you or others are assigned. Serve others. Encourage your precious brothers and sisters to serve others. Like Paul, affirm the good work done by your brothers and sisters in Our family. Third, value people more than buildings, programs, projects, and religious affiliations. These things can become points of arrogance and areas of contention. Remember it is worthwhile to walk away from all of those things to bring a single person back into the family (Matthew 18:10-14). People count far more than physical and temporal things. People are eternal. Buildings will crumble and fall. Programs go out of style, and another program becomes the latest church fad. Projects move toward an end. Religious labels are human creations and divisions that separate rather than call My people to unity focused on Me, My mission, and My will. So value people above all things. Things are temporary; people are precious because they are eternal. Fourth, express your family relationship with each other through both words and actions. Why have some of you let the holy kiss go out of use in many of your Western churches when it is a frequent command found in your New Testament (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14)? You’re family. Even if a holy kiss was particular to the culture in New Testament times, there are equivalent greetings now — a warm handshake with a sincere smile, or a brotherly or sisterly hug, or whatever is appropriate in your particular culture to show sincere affection and concern. Each person who gathers around My table is precious. So love each other and greet each other as family — as people who are eternal, precious, and beloved by their Father! Verses to Live As you read Paul’s words of love, commendation, and friendship, think about the people in your life who are like those that Paul mentions. Make a commitment to write them a note of encouragement and thanks for what they mean to you. Pray for them! Value them! They are like you: precious! I commend to you our beloved sister Phoebe; she serves the church in Cenchrea as a faithful deacon. It is important that you welcome her in the Lord in a manner befitting your saintly status. Join in her work, and assist her in any way she needs you. She has spent her energy and resources helping others, and I am blessed to have her as my benefactor as well. Give my best to Prisca and Aquila; they are not only my colleagues in my profession of tent making, but more importantly they are my fellow servants of Jesus the Anointed. They put their lives on the line to keep me safe. Not only do I owe them my thanks, so do all the churches of the non-Jews. Send my regards to the church that meets in their house. Send greetings to Epaenetus. I love him dearly and celebrate his journey to faith because he was the first to believe in the Anointed One in all of Asia. Salute Mary for me; she has worked hard for all of you. Give my regards to Andronicus and Junias, who are part of my own family and served time in prison with me. They are well known among the emissaries and have been in the Anointed longer than I. Give my best to Ampliatus whom I love in the Lord, and greet Urbanus (our fellow worker in service to the Anointed One) and my beloved Stachys. Send greetings to Apelles, a tried and true believer in the Anointed, and to the entire family of Aristobulus. Do not forget to greet Herodion, another of my relatives, and everyone in the family of Narcissus who belongs to the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, faithful laborers in the Lord, and our beloved Persis, who also has accomplished a great deal in the Lord.