Move Beyond the God Talk
Note from Jesus Dear Partner in the Kingdom, People can speak in “God talk” and live in anti-God ways. Unfortunately, Christmas is a time when a lot of that happens. This method of speaking goes all the way back to My birth and early days as a toddler. Herod had his religious wise guys use the writings of the prophets that are now in your Bible to determine the location of My birth so he could try to kill Me. This account of the despicable slaughter of boy babies is a reminder that knowing the Bible and engaging in “God talk” can be dangerous if your heart doesn’t belong to the Father. There is, however, another way to use the Scriptures. You can come to Me and let your faith in Me open your eyes to the full and powerful message of God that leads to life! Move beyond the “God talk” this Christmas: come and discover Me. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NLT). Verses to Live As joyous as the story is for you, parts of My birth story are extremely sad for the Father and for some families in and around Bethlehem. Some people used the very Scriptures and words of the prophets — words intended to give them hope — to bring evil of the worst kind: murder. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in the province of Judea, at the time when King Herod reigned. Not long after Jesus was born, magi, wise men or seers from the East, made their way from the East to Jerusalem. These wise men made inquiries. Wise Men: Where is this newborn, Who is the King of the Jews? When we were far away in the East we saw His star, and we have followed its glisten and gleam all this way to worship Him. King Herod began to hear rumors of the wise men’s quest, and he, and all of his followers in Jerusalem, were worried. So Herod called all of the leading Jewish teachers, the chief priests and head scribes, and he asked them where Hebrew tradition claimed the long-awaited Anointed One would be born. Scribes and Priests: An ancient Hebrew prophet, Micah, said this: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are no poor relation — For from your people will come a Ruler Who will be the shepherd of My people Israel”. (Matthew 2:1-6) After a few months had passed, Herod realized he’d been tricked. The wise men were not coming back [to tell him exactly where Jesus was]. Herod, of course, was furious. He simply ordered that all boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years of age and younger be killed. He knew the baby King was this age because of what the wise men told him. This sad event had long been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah: A voice will be heard in Ramah, weeping and wailing and mourning out loud all day and night. The voice is Rachel’s, weeping for her children, her children who have been killed; she weeps, and she will not be comforted. (Matthew 2:16-18) When My word is ignored, when the Father’s will is abandoned, and when the Spirit’s inspired message is used for evil, death can be the result. But, when you come to Me, believe in Me, and follow Me, the result is life. Here’s what I said to some religious folks who were using Scripture to bring harm. His [God’s] word does not abide in you because you do not believe in the One sent by the Father. Here you are scouring through the Scriptures, hoping that you will find eternal life among a pile of scrolls. What you don’t seem to understand is that the Scriptures point to Me. Here I am with you, and still you reject the truth contained in the law and prophets by refusing to come to Me so that you can have life. (John 5:38-40) Don’t lose the focus of this season in a lot of religious words. Remember, the point of the season is to come to Me and find life! Response in Prayer Lord Jesus, I confess that I can sometimes get so caught up in trying to read the Bible that I forget to listen for You in the words that I read. Father God, thank You for having Your words come to life in Your Word, Jesus the Son. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for inspiring the message of God and breathing these words of life through people so we can understand the truth. But most of all, dear God, I pray that I keep Jesus as the center and use the Bible to help others find life. It is in Jesus’ name, and by His authority that 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 – Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. —Romans 12:15 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… While misery may love company, grief can lead many of us to withdraw and hide. So, let’s remember those who have lost loved ones, especially this time of year. Let them know how you value and miss their loved ones, too. As you talk about their loved ones, please mention them by name. Don’t feel like you need to explain the why behind their death or give advice to the grieving — remember, Job’s counselors were a blessing until they started talking, trying to defend God and explain why Job was suffering. Love serves, encourages, and waits; so, serve, encourage, and wait. Do it with both the grieving and the rejoicing people in your fellowship. Make this a season of true joy and comfort. Affirm their grief while sharing their laughs and rejoicing with them in their good surprises. They need to know it is ok to have moments of joy in their sadness. Also, dear friend in Jesus, make sure you are around people full of joy and rejoice with them, too! It’s hard to serve if you don’t rejoice. My Prayer… Holy God and comforting Father, please give us eyes to see and hearts to offer loving care to those around us who are grieving. During this special time of year, please use us to bless those in sorrow and help us as we join those who are rejoicing. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our source of comfort and joy. 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.
So Who Will Share the Good News?
Note from Jesus Dear Friend of God, Today, I AM asking you to do something important. I know you are busy with all your Christmas plans, but there is one important gift I’d like you to give to someone. I want you to share the good news story of My birth with that person. The person could be a man or woman, adult or child, old or young, rich or poor, but no matter who that person is, all people need to be reminded that I came to earth from heaven for them. Please share that story with a couple of people who are special to you. Verses to Live An angel first told the story of God’s good news of My coming to Joseph and Mary. While it was unbelievable good news, it was also news that would change their world, and yours, forever: [I]n Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. The messenger entered her home. Messenger: Greetings! You are favored, and the Lord is with you! Among all women on the earth, you have been blessed. The heavenly messenger’s words baffled Mary, and she wondered what type of greeting this was. Messenger: Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favor with God. Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Savior,” or Jesus. Jesus will become the greatest among men. He will be known as the Son of the Highest God. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, and He will reign over the covenant family of Jacob forever. (Luke 1:26-33) Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, son of David. They hadn’t married. And yet, some time well before their wedding date, Mary learned that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, because he was kind and upstanding and honorable, wanted to spare Mary shame. He did not wish to cause her more embarrassment than necessary. Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream. Messenger of the Lord: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else — rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonderworking of the Holy Spirit. She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person Who will save all of His people from sin. (Matthew 1:18-21) Angels (heavenly messengers) also announced the good news to a group of shepherds out in the fields tending their flocks. It was such good news for them that they had to go to see if it was really true and then tell others about this good news they had seen! Nearby, in the fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were guarding their flocks from predators in the darkness of night. Suddenly a messenger of the Lord stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light — the shining light of God’s glory. They were terrified! Messenger: Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough. At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers — a vast heavenly choir. They praised God. Heavenly Choir: To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God! And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God! As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation. Shepherds: Let’s rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let’s see what’s happening! Let’s experience what the Lord has told us about! (Luke 2:8-15) The Father even used a star to announce the good news of My birth to foreigners, wise men from the East, who came to worship Me because of this good news. The wise men left Herod’s chambers and went on their way. The star they had first seen in the East reappeared — a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They unpacked their satchels and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:9-11) This is the beginning of the good news of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, the Son of God. Isaiah the prophet told us what would happen before He came: Watch, I will send My messenger in front of You to prepare Your way and make it clear and straight. You’ll hear him, a voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Eternal One, a straight way in the wandering desert, a highway for our God.” That messenger was John the Baptist, who appeared in the desert near the Jordan River preaching that people should be ritually cleansed through baptism with water as a sign of both their changed hearts and God’s forgiveness of their sins. (Mark 1:1-4) If angels, stars, and shepherds can find a way to sing, shine, and share the good news of My birth, won’t you? Response in Prayer O Father in heaven and the One True and Living God, open my eyes to see the people You have placed around me who need to
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 12:14
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. —1 Corinthians 12:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The human body is an amazing arrangement of parts, members, vital organs, systems, and interdependent structures. When the body is healthy, these many different organic structures and systems work together, and the human body can do amazing things. The same is true with the Body of Christ! As long as we each do our part and offer our gifts and abilities for the good of the whole, Christ can do amazing things through us! Both the Body as a whole, functioning as the presence of Christ, and each structure and system and part working as it is gifted to do are essential and interdependent. You, in your role, using your giftedness and fulfilling your purpose, are essential if we, the Body of Christ as a whole, are going to be able to serve the world as Jesus’ presence among people he longs to seek, serve, and save! My Prayer… Holy and loving Father, please help us each know our place and purpose in the Body of Christ so we can serve faithfully and productively to seek, serve, and save those in the world who need to know your Son’s grace and so we can bring glory to you, dear Father. May the Holy Spirit guide us as we use the giftedness the Spirit gave us, 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.
When Is Worship A Lie?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I love all people. That’s why I came. At the same time, I have to tell you something — and yes, I’m sorry to have to do this near Christmas, but it’s part of My story. Hypocrisy makes me want to throw up (Revelation 3:15-16) — when people pretend to love the Father, say they live by the Spirit, and talk as if they love Me, yet their lives are lived in a totally different way. Some of My harshest words in My earthly ministry were targeted at hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-39). Herod even used the Scriptures for evil purposes to try to kill me. Something Herod said was nothing but a bald-faced lie: Go to Bethlehem and search high and low for this Savior child; and as soon as you know where He is, report it to me so that I may go and worship Him. (Matthew 2:8) Herod’s actions were a preview of what would happen during My ministry: the religious power brokers felt jealous and threatened, so they tried to have Me killed. In fact, they were successful. They just didn’t know that after crucifying Me the Father would raise Me and then they would be in a real mess — people who saw Me alive after My resurrection couldn’t be stopped! So please remember during this time when people celebrate My birth that there is a war going on. It’s not just a war between good and evil, but a war with an extreme form of evil: religiosity and people who want to turn religion into a system that makes them feel better than others and gives them power over others rather than a holy life lived in submission to the Father and in service to others. Remember, religious leaders were the ones who conspired with political leaders to murder Me. So don’t lose Me in something that purports to be religion. I came because God wanted lost people to be saved, the last people in line to be included, and the least people to be recognized for their kind acts of service. On the other hand, Herod was an evil, murderous, superficially religious, political weasel. He built great buildings and murdered children — some of them his own. When worship loses sight of God’s grace and My coming to save the lost, the last, and the least, then it is a lie. But when it celebrates the salvation of the lost, the inclusion of the last, and the service of the least… well, that’s a foretaste of heaven! Verses to Live These following two sets of verses stand in sharp contrast. The first one is something that I said to the outwardly religious bunch, the Scribes and Pharisees: Isaiah prophesied wisely about your religious pretensions when he wrote: These people honor Me with words off their lips; meanwhile their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is empty, void of true devotion. They teach a human commandment, memorized and practiced by rote. (Mark 7:6-7) The second one comes from My description of the final judgment and is said to those who have lived like Me: Come here, you beloved, you people whom My Father has blessed. Claim your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of creation. You shall be richly rewarded, for when I was hungry, you fed Me. And when I was thirsty, you gave Me something to drink. I was alone as a stranger, and you welcomed Me into your homes and into your lives. I was naked, and you gave Me clothes to wear; I was sick, and you tended to My needs; I was in prison, and you comforted Me. (Matthew 25:34-36) The last sounds a whole lot more like Christmas than it does like Herod! Response in Prayer I am sorry, dear God, that Jesus’ birth story has to have some of the junk and crud of our human hypocrisy and evil. But it does comfort me, dear Father, that Jesus entered this kind of mess and redeemed it and brought Your grace to give us living hope. As I worship and give thanks during this season, tune my heart to Yours as I seek to honor You for Your indescribable gift of Jesus, in Whose 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 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. —1 Corinthians 12:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Do you know what makes us family? In God’s family, the Holy Spirit makes us one. We are made a child of God by our new birth into his forever family by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God’s presence and power in us and God’s spiritual DNA that connects us to each other and to our Father. This spiritual bond transcends human family, race, nationality, gender, and all other human barriers. The Spirit’s presence ensures we are God’s children and enables us to function as Jesus’ Body here on earth. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for making my body a holy dwelling for your presence through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, LORD Jesus, for pouring out the Spirit on me and making me new. I ask, dear Father, that the blessed Holy Spirit continue to work in my heart to tear down any wall of prejudice that may exist toward any of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit makes us one here on earth, just as the reality of our oneness is true with you in heaven. I pray this in the one who died to make us one in him. 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.
Finding Your Purpose
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, I know you sometimes wonder what your life’s purpose is and what My plan is for your future. I have spoken to you through the Scriptures about the big picture of your purpose. I know you would like more details, but sometimes those details are not nearly as important as the purpose I have for you in the place you are right now. Shepherds, including the ones to whom the angels appeared when I was born, had a tough life. The purpose to their life seemed very simple in the grand scheme of things as you so often think of grand things. They watched, protected, and cared for sheep. They made sure the sheep had food and water. They calmed them during the night when they were restless. They called them by name since they were individually known. Bottom line: When you look at the little details, it looks as if these shepherds were all about sheep. However, that was not the most important aspect of their purpose. That purpose was far greater: their purpose was to share the story of God’s wondrous love that sent Me into the world. Guess what? You have this same greater purpose. It doesn’t matter what the smaller details are — what your job is, who your family is, where your school is, what your problems appear to be. (And please know that I know and care about these details in your life.) The bottom line is that you have the same purpose as those shepherds from so long ago: your purpose is to share the story of God’s wondrous love that sent Me into the world! Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the words below from the good doctor, Luke, and one of my best-known apostles, Peter. You are here to share My story and bring praise to the Father for His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:3-14). Verses to Live Here’s what the shepherds discovered was their purpose (underlined for emphasis): After they saw the baby, they spread the story of what they had experienced and what had been said to them about this child. … The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God for all they had seen and heard, and they glorified God for the way the experience had unfolded just as the heavenly messenger had predicted. (Luke 2:16-17; Luke 2:20) Here’s what Peter wants you to know is your purpose (underlined for emphasis): But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One Who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received it. (1 Peter 2:9-10) Response in Prayer All glory and praise to You, O God, the Father of mercy and the God of all grace. You have bought me from sin and re-made me to be Your precious and holy servant to influence others so that they can know Your grace and be reborn by Your Spirit. Use me, each day, dear God, to be a blessing to those around me to Your 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 – Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. —Romans 12:12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… How can we keep our circumstances from determining our mood? How can we emancipate ourselves from the limitations that life deals us? The last in this trio of commandments from Paul opens the door for the other two to be true — we can rejoice in hope and be patient in affliction because we have been faithful in prayer. No matter our situation, we can pray joyfully because of our hope in Christ. We can remain patient, persevering through affliction, by presenting our requests and intercessions to God with thanksgiving. Prayer is God’s gift to us so that we can be patient and joyful, even when things don’t appear to be going well. We can be joyful in hope and patient in affliction because we are faithful in prayer! My Prayer… Father, I thank you because no matter my struggles, you assure me of my ultimate victory in Christ Jesus. I thank you, dear God because no matter the hardship or burden I face, I know you will help me through it and bring me into your presence with great joy. So until that day of ultimate and victorious joy, please ransom my heart from discouragement by the power of hope from your Holy Spirit. 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.
Fulfilling the Father’s Plan
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, In your world, independence, autonomy, self-sufficiency, and doing your own thing are of utmost importance for some people. A little independence can be good, but living your life in rebellion to the Source of life — the One Who made you and knows what is best for you to find joy and fulfillment in life — is self-destructive. Often, it’s only when you can’t figure out how to put things together that you go back and read the directions or seek the help of an expert. So I challenge you to be more interdependent and seek the counsel of spiritually wise people. Even more, I challenge you to open up the Father’s word and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading. After all, I sent the Holy Spirit to “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 NIV). When I was on earth, I always lived to please the Father (John 5:30; John 6:38). My words were the words the Father wanted to be spoken, and the things I did were the very things the Father wanted to be done (John 14:10). From your point of view that may not seem like a very exciting life — living, saying, and doing only the things that please the Father — but I can tell you that it is most exciting. In fact, it is a trailblazing way to live (Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 12:2), as evidenced by what the Father called Me to do and what He accomplished through Me — it’s a life full of grace with unlimited challenges, experiences, and opportunities. So I want to challenge you to live to please the Father. This way you are not enslaved to what others think about you. You are not always trying to figure out what those around you think is cool or valuable or significant. Instead, you will discover life — “real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10:10 MSG). Verses to Live My life was lived to fulfill the promises the Father had given through the prophets and to fulfill the requirements of the Torah. This fulfillment began with My birth. So every time you talk about My birth, My Advent, remember how I came to honor the Father and obey His will, and let My life on earth challenge you to do the same. My ancestry fulfilled the expectations and promises that God gave to Abraham and David to have a descendant Who would bless all nations and reign forever: This is the family history, the genealogy, of Jesus the Anointed, the coming King. You will see in this history that Jesus is descended from King David, and that He is also descended from Abraham. (Matthew 1:1) Abraham and David were linked with 14 generations, 14 generations link David to the Babylonian exile, and 14 more take us from the exile to the birth of the Anointed. (Matthew 1:17) Even from My earliest days, My mother and Joseph made sure things were done in the way that the heavenly Father wanted them done. Eight days after His birth, the baby was circumcised in keeping with Jewish religious requirements, and He was named Jesus, the name the messenger had given Him before His conception in Mary’s womb. After Mary had observed the ceremonial days of postpartum purification required by Mosaic law, she and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. They were fulfilling the Lord’s requirement that “every firstborn Israelite male will be dedicated to the Eternal One as holy.” (Luke 2:21-23) Response in Prayer Abba Father, You are majestic beyond my wildest imagination and yet personally concerned for my welfare. Help me, dear Father, to see that the way You call me to live is for my blessing so that I will discover the life that is full, rich, and meaningful. As I follow Jesus, I am convicted that I need to yield my will to Yours in order to discover how to live life abundantly. Today, as I think about Jesus’ birth, I feel called to re-commit my words, thoughts, and actions to honor You. In Jesus’ name. 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 – Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. —Romans 12:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Paul is emphatic that Jesus’ disciples must be full of spiritual fervor to serve the LORD. Jesus was even more emphatic that God wants us to be passionate about our Christian life. He told the believers in Laodicea to repent and be passionate when he said: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15-16) Jesus has done so much to redeem us. Let’s live passionately for the LORD, and “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep [our] spiritual fervor”! My Prayer… Holy LORD and King of the Ages, I confess: I have sometimes let my spiritual fire die down and my spiritual fervor wane. Jesus, please have the Spirit come with holy fire, kindling a renewed zeal and passion for you in me as I live my life and influence those around me. I want to zealously and shamelessly pursue your mission in today’s world and live a vibrant life that shows I love Jesus as my LORD! I ask this in Jesus’ name and to honor you, Father. 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.