Today’s Verse – Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. —Deuteronomy 4:29 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When was the last time you yearningly searched after God? I’m not talking about an obscure theological insight about God you got from a preacher or another best-selling book about God. When was the last time you sought after the Father so that you could know him better, recognize his nearness to you, and appreciate him more? Let’s open our hearts and go on the great quest to find God. Like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), we will find he’s waiting and watching for us to come home! My Prayer… Precious Heavenly Father, majestic in glory, awesome in might, and ever near with your loving presence, please bless me with a deeper and more personal knowledge and experience of you in my life. I want to know you even as I am known by you (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:1-3). Until the day I can see you face to face in glory, please draw me closer and closer to you as you make your presence known 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.
Immanuel: Compassion
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, I call you My friend because you know and practice My will (John 15:15). Therefore, I have brought you into My family through My sacrifice on the cross. I have given you the power to live in My family through the Holy Spirit within you. So today, as we continue talking about the Immanuel sayings in Matthew’s gospel, I call you to be a friend to others who desperately need your compassion and My grace in their lives. The Immanuel sayings promise that you can experience My presence in your daily life. These sayings help you recognize how you can experience My presence as Immanuel. The four sayings promise that you can experience Me as Immanuel in these ways: Through entering My story (Matthew 1:22-23). By loving each other as My spiritual family (Matthew 18:20). By actively demonstrating compassion to those in need (Matthew 25:40). Through making disciples, whether among your own acquaintances or in other cultures, and leading them to know My way of life (Matthew 28:18-20). Today, I want to focus on the third of these sayings: 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. … I tell you this: whenever you saw a brother or sister hungry or cold, whatever you did to the least of these, so you did to Me. I want you to treat others, especially the most vulnerable ones among you, as I treated people when I walked the earth. As you do, you will not only be following My example, but you will also experience My presence with you. I’m not promising that doing this will always be easy. It wasn’t always easy for Me. In fact, My ministry to others often became messy and difficult. I do not promise you that everyone will be appreciative or recognize the grace you’ve shared with them. They didn’t understand when I shared My grace with them. However, I want you to know one thing for sure: if you share compassionate care with those in need, you will find Me with you. In fact, you will actually be serving Me! You will experience My presence in serving those in need. You will meet Immanuel! Verses to Live As you read these words, remember these are My words. They come from My heart. They are words of great importance. What you do in response to these words of promise, you are doing — or not doing — for Me. These words also help you to know what is important to the Father at the final judgment. Please hear the urgency in these words. Live them with expectancy, trusting that you will meet Me in the doing of them. When the Son of Man comes in all His majesty accompanied by throngs of heavenly messengers, His throne will be wondrous. All the nations will assemble before Him, and He will judge them, distinguishing them from one another as a shepherd isolates the sheep from the goats. He will put some, the sheep, at His right hand and some, the goats, at His left. Then the King will say to those to His right: King: 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. Even then the righteous will not have achieved perfect understanding and will not recall these things. Righteous: Master, when did we find You hungry and give You food? When did we find You thirsty and slake Your thirst? When did we find You a stranger and welcome You in, or find You naked and clothe You? When did we find You sick and nurse You to health? When did we visit You when You were in prison? King: I tell you this: whenever you saw a brother or sister hungry or cold, whatever you did to the least of these, so you did to Me. (Matthew 25:31-40) Response in Prayer O God, give me the eyes to see people as Jesus does. Give me the heart to feel what others feel as You do, Father. Give the strength inspired by the Spirit within me to serve in ways that are helpful and selfless. I ask this in the name of Jesus. 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 – Acts 4:28
[The evil men who killed Jesus] did what your power [O God,] and will had decided beforehand should happen. —Acts 4:28 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The cross of Golgotha and the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins were no afterthought or mistake. Jesus came as God’s anointed, his holy Messiah, the Christ, the Suffering Servant, to die for the sins of the people and bring life and immortality to us. Those who were evil and conspired to kill Jesus as they sought to preserve their power and position as religious leaders were doing what God knew they would do. God used their evil actions to bring his grace and his goodness to us. He ransomed what was intended for evil by a few and made it the source of salvation for all, and he planned this ages before it happened. That is truly God’s loving grace planned long ago for us! My Prayer… Almighty God and loving Father, thank you for your gracious sacrifice that fulfilled your demand for justice and brought us your rich mercy and grace in Jesus. Thank you, LORD Jesus, for your loving sacrifice, holy example, and promise to return for me, to take me home with you in glory. I pray this in your 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.
Immanuel: In Spiritual Family
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, I began yesterday to share with you the four Immanuel passages in the book of Matthew. Recall that Immanuel is the name given to Me in prophecy (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us.” The first of the Immanuel sayings (Matthew 1:23) was spoken about Me. The remaining three were spoken by Me. I spoke these three Immanuel sayings as promises to My disciples. While these last three don’t specifically use the name Immanuel, they emphasize that I AM with you when you: Come together as authentic spiritual family (Matthew 18:20), Compassionately care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40), and Step outside the comfortability of your ethnicity and culture to make disciples and lead them to follow Me (Matthew 28:18-20). In other words, I AM not just the One Who was raised from the dead never to die again, but I AM also alive and present with you. I want you to know how you can experience My presence in your life as My disciple. Today, the verses below are focused on experiencing My presence and My influence on your life in a community as spiritual family (Hebrews 2:10-11). As Christians, you are not members of an organization, but you are part of My blood-bought family. You are brothers and sisters who share something more important than a physical bloodline or common DNA markers. The Holy Spirit, Our — Father, Son, and Spirit’s — presence, is living in you making you spiritual family. Family life can sometimes be messy and difficult. However, the Father has given you the power of the resurrection through the work of the Holy Spirit within you (Ephesians 1:17-20; Ephesians 3:14-21). This power can help you live together in love (Romans 5:5) as a true spiritual family. When you choose to live in the radical ways I am calling you to live as My family, you are living with Me. My presence is there with you and among you. This lifestyle means that you will take special care with how you use your freedom. You will do your best not to cause a disciple to stumble and fall away. You will go directly to a person who offends you rather than gossiping about that person or trying to “get even” with that person. You will forgive any brother or sister who sins against you and asks forgiveness, and you will continue to forgive as long as that person asks for your forgiveness. You will notice and work to reclaim any of your brothers and sisters who have wandered away, have been overcome by sin, or have dropped out of the family. Being with you as a member of My family is My promise to you. It is Matthew’s second Immanuel saying. What I said reminds you that I AM present and can be experienced in your world as you live as genuine spiritual family: For when two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) Verses to Live As you read My words in the verses below, remember that I AM calling you to live as My spiritual family. My teaching recognizes that this life together as a spiritual family can be messy. Everyone in My family is imperfect just as you are. However, you need each other to be what I’ve called you to be. Around that same time, the disciples came to Jesus and questioned Him about the kingdom of heaven. A Disciple: In the kingdom of heaven, who is the greatest? Jesus called over a little child. He put His hand on the top of the child’s head. Jesus: This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In that kingdom, the most humble who are most like this child are the greatest. And whoever welcomes a child, welcomes her in My name, welcomes Me. And do not lead astray one of the weak and friendless who believes in Me. If you do, it would be better for you to be dragged down with a millstone and drowned in the bottom of the sea. Beware indeed of those in a world filled with obstacles and temptations that cause people to turn away from Me. Those temptations are woven into the fabric of a world not yet redeemed, but beware of anyone who lures righteous women and men off the narrow path. If your hand constantly grasps at the things of this world rather than serves the Kingdom — cut it off and throw it away. If your foot is always leading you to wander, then cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to hobble, crippled, into the kingdom of life than to burn in hell with two hands and two feet. And if your eye always focuses on things that cause you to sin, then pull your eye out and throw it away. It is better for you to see the kingdom of life with one eye than to see the fires of hell with perfect sight. Make sure that you do not look down on the little ones, on those who are further behind you on the path of righteousness. For I tell you: they are watched over by those most beloved messengers who are always in the company of My Father in heaven. [The Son of Man has come to save all those who are lost.] A shepherd in charge of 100 sheep notices that one of his sheep has gone astray. What do you think he should do? Should the shepherd leave the flock on the hills unguarded to search for the lost sheep? God’s shepherd goes to look for that one lost sheep, and when he finds her, he is happier about her return than he is about the 99 who stayed put. Your Father in heaven does not want a single one of the tripped, waylaid,
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 4:27
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. —Proverbs 4:27 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When I see someone swerving in and out of their lane during heavy traffic, I immediately go into a defensive driving mode. Whether they are drunk, sleepy, distracted, or just plain careless, I know they are dangerous because they are swerving “to the right and left.” God wants us to know the same is true of us when we allow ourselves to be distracted or drift in our lives trying to see and sample every form of temptation available. Let’s stick to the straight and narrow with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus! My Prayer… Loving Father, please forgive me for being so easily distracted by sinful temptations. Please give me wisdom to see the things that the evil one has designed for me and avoid them and resist them. Please make Jesus, his costly sacrifice, and his holy life very real to me today, and every day, as I seek to be your holy child in the corrupt world in which I live. 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.
Immanuel: In the Story
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, I want you to know Me. I’m not talking about knowing more about Me — although that is a good thing and something I invite you to do by reading more about Me in the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I want you to know Me — to know that I AM real and to experience My moment-by-moment presence in your life. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, many church leaders and teachers began to speak about My great work only in the past tense. Some even inferred that I didn’t do any of the great things I did long ago. Some teachers and preachers have taught about Me in ways that confined My presence and My power to a time long ago and a place far away. They have made it seem that when the New Testament was all written that I quit making Myself known and that My presence was no longer experienced in the lives of My people. Remember that I AM above all things, and I reign over all things to bless My people, the church. I AM risen from the dead. I AM alive forever, and I will bring all who are mine to Myself to join Me in glory. One of the great things Matthew wrote into the fabric of his good news story of My life was an emphasis on My identity as Immanuel. I AM the presence of God that can be experienced in the lives of My people. So I want to spend today and the next three days drawing your attention to four passages that we will call Matthew’s four Immanuel sayings. Matthew connected My birth to a prophecy from Isaiah and identified Me as the promised “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14) — which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). More than just a statement of My divinity as God in human flesh, “Immanuel” is a reminder that I AM the eternal and immortal God, Who became flesh and walked among you to reveal God to you and make Him known to you (John 1:14-18). As Immanuel, what I did among you, I did as God with you. You want to know how We — Almighty God as Father, Son, and Spirit — feel about you? Then look at how I treated people. Want to know what God wanted to say to you? Notice how I talked to people with whom I came in contact and what I said to them. Want to know how God cares for His people? See what I did to love people. Want to be reassured that God listens to people? Watch as I listen to people. Want to see how God chastised religious people who were hypocrites and how He healed broken people and challenged people to be more? Look carefully at My life. All along My way going to the cross, witness how I repeatedly served others to redeem them. My life example is how your God feels about you! So I invite you to enter into My story. Go all the way back to the first hinted promise of My coming after the fall of humanity in the garden (Genesis 3:15). Then go all the way up to My conception in the womb of Mary (Luke 1:26-38). This story actually continues with Me as your living Lord Who will return for you. As you enter into this story, realize that this is your story, too! Your Bible is more than a book of laws, history, wisdom, poetry, prophecy, and teachings. Think of it as your family album of stories. It is your history about how you are loved, the kind of people from whom you have come, and the glorious promises about where you are headed with your brothers and sisters who find their identity in Me. As you read from the Bible, expect to meet Me. Ask the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the words of the Bible, to help you understand them. Even more, invite the Holy Spirit to help you hear My voice as I call you to follow Me. I will call to you through the words you read, the thoughts you have, and the convictions that the Holy Spirit inspires in you. I want you to ask the Spirit to help you discover what I want you to know from what you read, what I want you to feel, and what I want you to do in response to what you read. The apostle Paul told his son in the faith, Timothy, the following: So surely you ought to stick to what you know is certain. All you have learned comes from people you know and trust because since childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which enable you to be wise and lead to salvation through faith in Jesus the Anointed. All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Look closely at the words that are highlighted in bold. They teach you two things: The holy Scriptures lead you to salvation through your faith in Me! I am the key for you as you read the Bible. Ask the Spirit to help you hear My voice and deepen your relationship with Me and your faith in Me. The holy Scriptures are intended to be lived — to be practical and useful truth for your life. I want to help you use the Bible to live a life of blessing, grace, and holy character! So more than dry pages of paper and ink and more than pixels of light and dark, the words of the Bible are part of the way I come to you and instruct you. I use these words of Scripture to lead you and to show My love
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 4:26-27
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. —Ephesians 4:26-27 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Pent-up anger is an explosion waiting to happen. Sooner or later, the pent-up frustration will explode, either in our own lives or into the lives of others. Jesus taught us to forgive and to reconcile (Matthew 18). We must deal with our anger, TODAY! Otherwise, the devil will use it to abuse us as well as others in our lives. Don’t give the devil a foothold in your life. If you give him an inch (2.54 cm), he’ll take a mile (1.61 km). In our anger, let’s not sin but deal with our anger, today! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father in heaven, thank you for the ability to get angry at the things that anger you. Please help me channel that emotion in ways that are productive and help me to be repulsed at evil. At the same time, dear Father, please stir my heart to yearn and seek reconciliation — not anger or vengeance — especially when my anger is directed against one of your children. By the power of your Holy Spirit, I ask for your help in forgiving others as you have forgiven me and not give the devil a foothold with anger in my life. In the name of Jesus, my LORD, 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.
Head Over All Things
Note from Jesus Dear Servant of God, In My earthly ministry, I repeatedly taught that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is a servant. My death on the cross for your sins was My ultimate demonstration of this principle. Servanthood is also something the apostle Paul reminded the Philippians was to be their motivation and mindset in their relationships with each other (Philippians 2:5-11). My resurrection from the dead and My exaltation to the right hand of the Father provided validation of My lordship. Not only was I the suffering servant Who gave Himself for you, but I AM also the One Who is “above all rule, authority, power, and dominion; over every name invoked, over every title bestowed in this age and the next.” Greatness is more than a title. Greatness is more than a position. Greatness is more than a reputation. In My kingdom, greatness is rooted in selfless service and sacrifice for others. You know Me now as Master and Savior. You know Me as Lord of all. You also should know Me as the suffering servant of God. I now reign as Savior and servant. I AM Master and Lord. I also want you to realize that I AM over all things for you — for you individually and for all of My people. Those in My spiritual family represent Me as My bodily presence in the world today. I reign in glory, not for My own benefit, but for you… and I reign forever over all things! Verses to Live Paul’s letter that you know as the book of Ephesians is full of passionate praise. While it would be great for you to read the whole letter, I want you to read at least these two passages about My place in the created universe for you. This God has given to each of us grace in full measure according to the Anointed’s gift as the Scripture says, When He ascended to the heights, He put captivity in chains; And in His triumph, He gave gifts to the people. (Well, when it says “He ascended,” then that must mean that He had descended earlier to the lower levels, that is, to the earth. The One Who descended is the same One Who rose from the dead to ascend far above all the heavens so that He could fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:7-10) Friends, it is this same might and resurrection power that He [the Father] used in the Anointed One to raise Him from the dead and to position Him at His right hand in heaven. There is nothing over Him. He’s above all rule, authority, power, and dominion; over every name invoked, over every title bestowed in this age and the next. God has placed all things beneath His feet and anointed Him as the head over all things for His church. This church is His body, the fullness of the One Who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:19-23) Response in Prayer O Father, I recognize that Jesus bought my forgiveness by being a suffering servant and that He reigns for us, His church, as Lord. Please use me — my thoughts, my words, and my example — to bring glory to You and praise to Jesus for what He has accomplished and what He is doing right now as reigning Lord. Through the powerful name of Jesus and the intercession of the Holy Spirit, 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 4:25
[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. —Romans 4:25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Why are the Cross and the Empty Tomb so important? Everything essential and truly lasting in this life and our salvation in the life to come depends upon Jesus’ death and resurrection! Jesus came to earth, lived among us as one of us, went to the cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and was raised victorious over death, sin, and hell for us — to erase our sins and bring us to life as God’s holy children. Jesus did what he did for us. The love of God demonstrated to us in Christ Jesus is staggeringly gracious! My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father, for paying such an awful price for cleansing me of my sins. Thank you, precious Savior, for sacrificing everything to save me. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for cleansing me and living inside me to conform me to Christ. I pray in his name, Jesus of Nazareth, my Savior and Lord. 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.
Your Baptism
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, My earthly ministry began with My baptism by My cousin, John the Baptist, in the Jordan River (Luke 3:21-23). The heavens were ripped open showing a new time — a new era — had begun in the Father’s work of salvation in human history (Mark 1:10-11). The Spirit descended upon Me as the Father spoke the words, “You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy” (Mark 1:11 NLT). There in that moment, you are able to witness Us — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — together and share a glimpse of our eternal and heavenly glory. Unfortunately, My followers have fought about, divided over, and even forgotten about this great gift of baptism. We made baptism available to you as a moment when We as Father, Son, and Spirit are present together in your life as you are baptized. Matthew records my last words before returning to the Father, and these last words include instruction about baptism: Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT) So take a moment and read the verses below and catch a glimpse of some of what baptism means for you. Finally, hang on to the words in the last verse below where the apostle Paul tells you that you “were raised with Him [Me, Jesus] by faith in the resurrection power of God, Who brought Him back from the dead.” Notice especially the following phrases: “raised with Him” “by faith” “resurrection power” “brought Him back from the dead” Yes, that’s what your baptism, your being united with Me in My death, burial, and resurrection, means for you — not just getting wet and not just going through some ceremony. It is actively placing your faith in My victory over sin and death through the power of God. It is not only immersion in water, but it is also immersing your heart into a life joined to Me. It is your appeal to God from a “good conscience” as you call on My name for your salvation. The power that was set loose in the moment of My resurrection comes to meet you in your moment of being raised from waters of baptism as you trust in the Father Who brought Me back from death to give you new life. Everything begins new and fresh with My resurrection and your ultimate trust that this same power is now at work within you. Verses to Live Your English word “baptize” actually comes from a transliteration rather than a translation of the Greek word baptizo which means immerse, dip, or plunge. Several passages in your New Testament use this description for a person who believes in Me being buried under water and then raised up from it, actions that connect baptism with My death, burial, and resurrection. In baptism, you offer yourself to Me in faith trusting in what I did in My death, burial, and resurrection to save you. As you are raised with Me from the waters of baptism, you trust that you begin a new life empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Anointed One suffered for sins once for all time — the righteous suffering for the unrighteous — so that He might bring us to God. Though He died in the flesh, He was made alive again through the Spirit. And in the Spirit, He went and preached to those spirits held captive. It was these who long ago lived in disobedience while God waited patiently as Noah was building the ark. At that time, only a tiny band — eight people — was spared from the flood. The water through which the ark safely passed symbolizes now the ceremonial washing through baptism that initiates you into salvation. You are saved not because it cleanses your body of filth but because of your appeal to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. Now He has entered heaven and sits at the right hand of God as heavenly messengers and authorities and powers submit to His supremacy. (1 Peter 3:18-22) You were buried with Him beneath the waters of … baptism and then were raised up with Him by faith in the resurrection power of God, Who brought Him back from the dead. (Colossians 2:12) Response in Prayer Thank You, Lord Jesus, for becoming human flesh, living among us, dying for our sins, and triumphing over death through Your resurrection. Thank You Father for Your divine plan and gracious gift of salvation. Thank You Holy Spirit for Your purifying and indwelling presence. Father, thank You for giving us baptism as a way to share in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection so that we can experience the beginning of our new life in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. All glory and praise be Yours, now and forevermore! 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.