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.
Today’s Verse – Deuteronomy 9:17
[Moses reminded the Israelites of his reaction to seeing the golden calf they had demanded by saying,] “So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes.” —Deuteronomy 9:17 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Anger, frustration, disappointment, and loss of self-control have sunk many of God’s most significant leaders — even when what they have seen is horrible and dishonoring to God. Leading can sometimes be an agonizing and disappointing task. Yet God’s people would perish without strong leaders full of godly conviction. Despite the failure of some of our leaders and the perils that can beset those who choose to lead, leadership is as honorable as it is vital! Where would Israel have been without Moses or Joshua or Hezekiah or David…? So if the LORD is calling you to lead, don’t accept his invitation lightly, but please, accept it! If you are not a leader, please remember to pray for your leaders and their families as they seek to honor God through their leadership (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:7-8, 17). My Prayer… Holy LORD, please bless your Church with leaders of great faith, courage, endurance, and integrity. Open my heart to my leaders and use me to bless and encourage them. Bless those you’ve gifted to lead with the courage to answer you when you call them to serve you. 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.
Please Pray
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, The apostle Paul is known as a great missionary. He is also the writer of many of the letters that you find in your New Testament. However, there is a side of Paul’s ministry that is not emphasized enough in your world. This lack of emphasis inhibits the success of your mission efforts. Paul was powerfully effective in reaching the lost, living out his calling, and blessing new Christians because of his prayer life. His letters include many of his prayers. These letters contain prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of intercession, prayers of blessing, and prayers of focus to help new Christians know what to work on in their lives. The surging power behind the effectiveness of Paul’s mission work and church planting work was his prayer life. Through prayer, he invited the Spirit to take control of his life, his ministry, and the opportunities available to him. You’ve already read several of Paul’s prayers of blessing in previous passages from Romans (Romans 15:13 for example). In addition to Paul’s many prayers for those in My family, he also sought the help of new Christians to pray for him, for his team, for his boldness, for his courage, for open doors, and for his mission efforts. The power of mission always has been tied to the work of the Holy Spirit in response to My people’s passionate prayer! Note from Phil@heartlight.org: To see places around the world that are responding to Jesus in recent years, check out this blog post: The Top 20 Countries where Christianity is Growing the Fastest. For more on the power of prayer for missions, you are encouraged to read Miraculous Movements: How Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims Are Falling in Love with Jesus. Verses to Live Paul made very clear to his brothers and sisters in Rome that there were difficulties, obstacles, and dangers that awaited him during his journey to them. He knew that he could not overcome these problems on his own power, with his own cunning plans, or through his own skill. He needed divine power and supernatural deliverance if his plans were to be fulfilled. So, Paul asked these new believers in Rome to join him in prayer for these plans. Paul’s foresight was correct: great hardships awaited him, great challenges confronted him, and harsh realities met him in Jerusalem and on his way to Rome. But, his anticipation of arriving in Rome and being “refreshed” by their presence proved accurate (Acts 28:14-15). Because of many issues, I [Paul] have not been able to visit you in the city of Rome. But my time to serve those here is coming to an end, there’s no room left for me in this region, and I have longed to come to you for many years. So I plan to visit you on my journey to Spain. I am hoping that I will not only see you face-to-face, but that you will assist me in the journey west after I have enjoyed our time together. But right now I must make the journey to Jerusalem to serve the saints there. Those in Macedonia and Achaia decided it was a good idea to share their funds to help the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. I must tell you that they were thrilled to be able to help. They realize that they are indebted to the believers in Jerusalem. If the nations share in the Jews’ spiritual goods, then it’s only right that they minister back to them in material goods. When this work is complete and the funds we’ve collected are delivered, I will make my way to Spain through your grand city of Rome and enjoy some of your hospitality. I’m sure that when I come to you I will come as a blessing and as one fully blessed by the Anointed One. My brothers and sisters, I urgently plead with you by the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, and by the love of the Spirit to join together with me in your prayers to God for my success in these next endeavors. Pray that I will be rescued from those who deny and persecute the faith in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem will meet the approval of all the saints there. If that happens, then my journey to you will be filled with joy; and, if God wills, I can rest and be refreshed in your presence. I pray the God of all peace will be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:22-33) Response in Prayer Father, I have several missionaries and ministries on my heart today. I pray that You not only bless and protect them, but that You also empower them to make an eternal impact in the lives of those they seek to reach. Give them courage and boldness. Give them Your sense of timing. I ask this in Jesus’ name and for the triumph of His message of grace. 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 – Genesis 9:16
[God told Noah,] “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” —Genesis 9:16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… I don’t know about you, but I’m very visual. So, I appreciate how God made the world with all its varied colors, many species, and rich landscapes. I am thankful that our Father in Heaven used key images in our world to remind us of his daily provision and eternal grace. The beauty of a rainbow is not just in its beautiful colors or the aroma of fresh rain that often accompanies it but also in the covenant God made with us and our world after the Great Flood. The eternal and living God chose to link himself to our destiny and to involve himself in our world because of his love and grace. With the rainbow as his symbol, God promised not to destroy all life on our planet with a flood. Each of us is God’s creation from the womb, so we are precious to him (Psalm 139:13-16). So, we commit to living morally and responsibly to God as we seek to honor him and his covenant represented by the rainbow (Genesis 9:4-7) and refuse to dishonor this covenant with wickedness (Genesis 9:22-24). God made the rainbow as a reminder that he loves us and calls us to honor him with our character and care for his creation. My Prayer… Almighty God, thank you for making your great promises when we had no right to expect them, much less to demand them. Thank you for attaching those promises to things in my everyday world that remind me of your constant and watchful care. In Jesus’ name, I ask for strength and wisdom to respond to your grace in holiness and honor. 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.
Beyond the Bucket List
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Let me ask you several questions to get you started thinking about today’s verses from Paul’s letter to the Romans: What makes you tick? What drives you? What is the Father’s call for you and your life? What matters most to you but remains undone on your spiritual bucket list? These are the issues that Paul shares from his heart with the Roman believers in the closing words of this letter to them (Romans chapters 15 and 16). Today’s verses focus on Paul’s very clear sense of his call to share the good news, My story, with all the nations. He recognized that he had been specially called to reach the non-Jewish world. His heart was passionately drawn to reach people who had never heard of Me or My story. He recognized that this call, this grace that was given to him by the Father, was what made him who he was. This call was what drove him to do what he did, what made him tick, what mattered most, and what he desperately wanted to accomplish before he died. Rome was the most important city of the Roman Empire during Paul’s time. As badly as Paul wanted to visit Rome, he saw it as his stepping stone to the lands and peoples who lived west of Italy. He wanted the Christians in Rome to help him get to those lands. As you will see over the next several weeks, Paul’s trip to Rome didn’t materialize quite as he had hoped. However, he did get to Rome, and he ministered in Rome as people came to him during his house arrest. Ultimately, Paul was martyred for pursuing his ministry. As he faced the end of his life, he powerfully testified that he had accomplished the work he was given to do (2 Timothy 4:6-8; cf. Acts 20:24). My hope for you is that you will have that same confidence and sense of accomplishment in living your life for Me! Verses to Live Today as you read the verses below, I want you to feel the passion Paul had for his calling. I want you to commit to finding that kind of passion for your calling to serve Me. You may not be a missionary quite like Paul. But please realize this: I placed you in the relationships and with the network of people you have in your life for you to fulfill My calling for you. You are no less a minister, and you do not have less of a Christian calling if your employment is not church-related. In fact, I want you to realize that much of what happened to spread the good news in the first century occurred because business people and traveling families took My message with them wherever they went (Acts 8:1-4). Remember that people like Paul shared My message as they did their work. Paul was a tent maker along with Priscilla and Aquila. Apollos was a traveling businessman. Along with many others whose names you don’t know, they shared My message and forever changed the world. I will share more with you about this type of ministering in a couple of days as we look at how Paul mentioned all the people he loved and knew in Rome, a place he had not visited when he mentioned these people. Today, however, I want you to focus on Paul’s passion for living out his calling! My brothers and sisters, I am ultimately confident that you are full of goodness, knowledge, and the ability to help and instruct one another. I have written to you with unflinching honesty on many topics because I do not want you to ever lose sight of the tremendous grace God has given me. His grace makes me who I am, a minister of the Anointed One, Jesus, called to serve the nations. The good news of God is the focus of my priestly work. In effect, these nations have become an offering to God, totally acceptable, indeed made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit. So in Jesus, the Anointed One, I have reason to celebrate the things I do for God. I don’t want to be presumptuous, so I will restrict myself to what the Anointed has accomplished through my words and actions, which has culminated in the obedience of the nations. My words and actions have been rooted in Spirit-empowered signs and miracles. The upshot is this: I have been able to preach the good news of the Anointed One in city after city from Jerusalem all the way around the Mediterranean to Illyricum. I have dreamed of preaching the gospel in places where no one has ever heard of the Anointed so that I do not build on a foundation laid by anyone else. But as the Scriptures say, They will see Him even though they’ve never been told about Him; they will understand even though they never heard of Him. Because of many issues, I have not been able to visit you in the city of Rome. But my time to serve those here is coming to an end, there’s no room left for me in this region, and I have longed to come to you for many years. So I plan to visit you on my journey to Spain. I am hoping that I will not only see you face-to-face, but that you will assist me in the journey west after I have enjoyed our time together (Romans 15:14-24) Response in Prayer O Father, help me know in my heart what You have called me to do to live for Jesus. I ask that the Spirit help me know what this calling is. I ask, O Holy Spirit, that You will also fill my heart with a burning flame of passion like Paul demonstrated in today’s verses. I want to be fully responsive, dear Father, to Your calling and mission in my life. I ask for this grace