Today’s Verse – James 4:17
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. —James 4:17 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… James’ brother, Jesus, taught this principle when he healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-7) and told the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). If we have the opportunity and ability to do good to someone in need, then if we don’t do it, then we are participating in their destruction. The LORD made it clear that neglecting to do a good deed for another in need, even if we had a religious excuse for not doing it, was doing evil. Let’s be a people known for doing good deeds and sharing kindness. Let’s not let any excuse, especially a religious excuse, interfere with our opportunities to serve others in the name of Jesus. My Prayer… Dear Father, please use me today to bless someone in need so they can know your grace and glorify Jesus for his goodness. In the Savior’s sweet and precious 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.
Your Resurrection: Certain and Glorious!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, The verses for today involve a group called the Sadducees. They were trying to trap Me in something they could use to turn people against Me. They were also looking for an excuse to arrest Me. Their question was a tricky one involving Yibbum or Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). It was a principle of the law that Moses gave My people. Levirate marriage was a law to protect a widow who had no family to take care of her when her husband died. However, the real issue in the verses below is not so much Levirate marriage as it is the Sadducees’ attempt to trap Me. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, so they made up this crazy scenario to try to show that believing in the resurrection from the dead was foolish. So I replied to their crazy question with two answers that silenced them. One of My answers to their question was that the resurrection life is glorious — life like the angels (or “heavenly messengers”) live. This new life really shouldn’t be compared with the life lived on earth where there is marriage and giving in marriage. Relationships among My disciples after the resurrection will be elevated to a new level of glory. They will enjoy the full blessings and privileges of being “children of God and children of the resurrection” with new, immortal bodies that are not subject to death and decay (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). The resurrection life for My disciples will be glorious and beyond comparing to the best your world can offer. My other answer was that the Father revealed in His statement to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6) that there is this resurrection life. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, the Father said that He is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By Moses’ time, they were all dead, but God isn’t God of the dead, but of the living. So all live to God.” My main point in this discussion with the Sadducees was that there is a resurrection life. So what do I want you to take away from the reading today? First, notice that I could use the trick questions of those who hated Me to teach the truth of the resurrection. They could not trick, trap, or defeat Me with their silly religious arguments. Such arguments are not worthwhile. You should avoid them (2 Timothy 2:23-26; Titus 3:9-11). Second, the resurrection life is more glorious than you can imagine when compared to your earthbound life — you will share in My glory and the glory of the angels of heaven (Luke 20:36; Romans 8:18; Colossians 3:4; cf. Luke 9:26). Third, We — Father, Son, and Spirit — rule over all people whether they are alive on earth or alive after death. All people “as mortals are appointed to die once and then to experience a judgment… before the throne of the Anointed, the Liberating King, to receive what is just for our conduct (whether it be good or bad) while we lived in this temporary body. … [E]very knee will bow, … every tongue will confess” that I AM Lord “to the glory of God our Father” (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 2:10-11). For you, a child of the Father and My disciple, the resurrection will be a glorious event — a time of victory, deliverance, and celebration (2 Timothy 4:8). As the apostle Paul wrote: On that day when He [Jesus] comes, all the saints in heaven and on earth will celebrate the glory of His power, and all who believe will stand and be amazed — this includes you because you believed us when we testified on His behalf. (2 Thessalonians 1:10) Because of My resurrection, you can know that your resurrection is certain and glorious. Don’t let a so-called bunch of “religious experts” cloud your mind with doubt. Their deceptive trick questions are not aimed at getting to the truth but are asked to make themselves look better. Verses to Live The Sadducees’ question was intended to trap Me, but notice how I turned the situation around and used their duplicity to silence them and to teach about the resurrection. I want you to know and to believe with great assurance that resurrection and glory await all who are My disciples! Another group came to test Him [Jesus] — this time from the Sadducees, a rival party of the Pharisees, who believe that there is no resurrection. Sadducees: Teacher, Moses wrote in the Hebrew Scriptures that a man must marry his brother’s wife and the new couple should bear children for his brother if his brother dies without heirs. Well, once there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and then died without fathering children. The second took her as his wife and then he died childless, and then the third, and so on through the seven. They all died leaving no children. Finally the woman died too. Here’s our question: in the resurrection, whose wife will she be, since all seven had her for a while? Will she be the wife of seven men at once? Jesus: The children of this era marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain the resurrection of the dead in the coming era do not marry and are not given in marriage. They are beyond mortality; they are on the level of heavenly messengers; they are children of God and children of the resurrection. Since you brought up the issue of resurrection, even Moses made clear in the passage about the burning bush that the dead are, in fact, raised. After all, he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By Moses’ time, they were all dead, but God isn’t God of the dead, but of the living. So all live to God. Religious Scholars: Teacher, that was a good answer. After this no one had
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 4:16
From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. —Ephesians 4:16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Ephesians and Colossians emphasize that no human being, or even a group of human beings, is the head of the Church. Jesus alone is the head of the Church. He sets our direction. He is our example. Christ is our goal for ministry and maturity (Colossians 1:28-29). Jesus also gifts people in his Church and arranges us in his Body as he chooses, giving us gifts he wants us to use to bless each other and honor God. Christ holds us together, enabling us to serve effectively as his presence in the world as each of us uses our gifts. So, let’s set our hearts on Jesus. Let’s use his life and love to inspire us. Let’s look back on Jesus’ earthly ministry to remind us how and whom we should serve. Let’s give Jesus our allegiance and loyalty as the Christ, who alone is the head of his Body, the Church. Let’s let him lead! My Prayer… Righteous Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for his example, service, obedience, love, and sacrifice. Thank you for his resurrection, exaltation, power, and presence today in your Church and in my life. Father, please use me and my brothers and sisters in Christ with me to do his work in our world and share your grace with all who are lost. In the name of the LORD Jesus, 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.
To the Praise of His Glory!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, One day you will hear the angels sing in celebration around the throne of God (Revelation 5:11-13). However, I wish you could hear them sing and praise God now. The shepherds heard them the night I was born to Mary (Luke 2:1-14). Right now they sing in celebration of My victory over sin and death as they gather around the throne of God. They sing in anticipation of your full redemption from all that is tainted, flawed, broken and mortal (Revelation 5:11; Revelation 7:11). On that glorious day, you will join the chorus of angels and all the people of God in celebration of full redemption. So until you can share in that glorious day, I want to point you to a great passage of praise (see the verses below). As Paul wrote to the churches of Asia Minor in the letter you call Ephesians, he began this letter with an outburst of passionate praise. When he spoke these words of praise to the person transcribing his letter, Paul’s words poured out of him as if he scarcely took a breath. This wonderful gushing forth of praise was really more song than it was letter-writing! Verses to Live Today, I want you to rejoice in the victory that is yours because of the Father’s plan, My resurrection from the dead, and the presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Let Paul’s words of praise guide you, but don’t let your praise be confined to what Paul has written. Let the Spirit lift you in the Wind of heaven’s grace and help you plumb the depths and soar to the heights of all that My triumph over sin and death has brought to you! As you read these verses, the portions in bold function as the repeated chorus or refrain for Paul’s “Song of God’s Glorious Grace”! Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, Who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed — not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done for us. God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. He destined us to be adopted as His children through the covenant Jesus the Anointed inaugurated in His sacrificial life. This was His pleasure and His will for us. Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace; He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved. Visualize this: His blood freely flowing down the cross, setting us free! We are forgiven for our sinful ways by the richness of His grace, which He has poured all over us. With all wisdom and insight, He has enlightened us to the great mystery at the center of His will. With immense pleasure, He laid out His intentions through Jesus, a plan that will climax when the time is right as He returns to create order and unity — both in heaven and on earth — when all things are brought together under the Anointed’s royal rule. In Him we stand to inherit even more. As His heirs, we are predestined to play a key role in His unfolding purpose that is energizing everything to conform to His will. As a result, we — the first to place our hope in the Anointed One — will live in a way to bring Him glory and praise. Because you, too, have heard the word of truth — the good news of your salvation — and because you believed in the One Who is truth, your lives are marked with His seal. This is none other than the Holy Spirit Who was promised as the guarantee toward the inheritance we are to receive when He frees and rescues all who belong to Him. To God be all praise and glory! (Ephesians 1:3-14) Response in Prayer Almighty God, You are more glorious than my words can describe and more generous than my heart can conceive. So I ask that You accept my meager words and thoughts of thanks and praise. Please receive from my heart through the Holy Spirit the emotions my words cannot fully articulate. I love, appreciate, and adore You. May Your name and Your grace be praised with my thoughts, my words, and my actions, this day and every day to come! 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 Timothy 4:15-16
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. —1 Timothy 4:15-16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Be diligent!” That’s not a phrase, a command you hear much about these days. We want things to come easily. Sweat in the world of pseudo-faith is frowned upon. But Paul wanted Timothy (and us) to know that maturity in Christ requires genuine effort — as Paul said, “give yourself wholly to them” and “persevere in them.” Having a redemptive influence on others is hard work. While it is God’s power that transforms, our efforts are also required if others are going to see our progress and follow our examples. God assures us that our efforts will bear fruit in our lives and lead others to salvation. My Prayer… Abba Father, please stir my confidence, courage, diligence, and determination so that I can share the salvation you have lavished on me can be shared with others through my teaching and my example. 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.
Children of God
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, The fifty days between My resurrection and Pentecost were important. I appeared to My closest disciples on several occasions, and I appeared to many others during the first forty days before My return to the Father’s side (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). During the ten days after My ascension, My disciples prayed and waited in Jerusalem for the coming of power just as I had told them to do (Acts 1:4). Their growing realization of Who I AM and what this means for all people was preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit. This same Holy Spirit would empower them to be My witnesses to the ends of their world. One of the most important realizations and revelations they experienced was what My death, burial, and resurrection actually meant. The implications of these great events were important for them and also for those who did not yet believe. I had opened a way for people — all people who came to true faith — to become children of God, born “not by human power or initiative but by God’s will.” You are God’s children and My brothers and sisters through faith. When you confessed Me before other people, were baptized calling on My name, and received Me into your life, you trusted in what I have done for you to save you. You were figuratively given a new set of holy garments — you “clothed yourselves with Christ.” You were reborn by the will and the power of the Father. You were filled with the Holy Spirit, Who now lives in you. This promise is true for all peoples (Acts 2:36-42). It is not confined to one race, one gender, or one social class. If you belong to Me, then all of the Father’s incredible promises to Abraham are yours as a spiritual child of Abraham and as a child of God through your faith (Galatians 3:26-29)! Verses to Live It would take a long time for My first followers to grasp the incredible power and the Father’s great and marvelous promises available to all whose lives are joined with Mine through their conversion. These promises are still true for you. These promises are still true for all whom God will call. These promises are even true for those whom the Father uses — you, and others like you, to reach out with the good news of His grace given through Me. Being a child of the Father is not determined by race or gender or social class; it is determined by grace received through faith in My death and resurrection and experienced in immersion and through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, in Whom you were sealed for redemption (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30). The true Light [Jesus], Who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the cosmos. He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him. Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God; He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative but by God’s will. (John 1:9-13) So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29 NIV) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, hallowed be Your glorious and powerful Name. May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth just as it is in heaven as I offer myself to live for Your kingdom. Please give us today the bread we need to sustain us. Please do not let us be taken captive by the powers of temptation, whether tempted from within by our own desires or from without through the scheming of the evil one. In fact, dear Father, I ask that You deliver us from the power of the evil one. As Your child, I pray this prayer for myself and all who are a part of Your family. 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 Thessalonians 4:14
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. —1 Thessalonians 4:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… As horrible as the Cross was, it wasn’t the final chapter of the Jesus’ story. Jesus died and then rose again. We can believe two things because of Jesus’ resurrection: That Jesus will return in glorious victory for those who have believed in him. That we will be with those we love who have fallen asleep in Christ when Jesus comes again and brings resurrection and reunion. These two truths allow us, dear friends in Jesus, to have confident hope for our future no matter where we find ourselves or what our present circumstances may be. My Prayer… Holy and Almighty Father, thank you for raising Jesus from the dead and assuring us of eternal life with you and with those we love who have already passed from this life into the presence of Jesus. We look forward to the day Jesus returns in glory with the angels of heaven, bringing us complete victory over death and reunion with Jesus and all who have believed in him. Thank you, dear Father, for the victory we have in 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.
Son of God with Power
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, There are many voices that call out to you and seek to win your heart. There are many distractions in your busy and high-tech culture that can dilute your focus and make you forget your mission. So today, I want My message to you to be clear: My resurrection from the dead changed everything! You’ve heard Me say that to you in previous notes, but today I want to come back to this important theme. I AM Who I AM for all eternity. I AM “the One Who is, the One Who was, and the One Who is coming” (Revelation 1:4-8; Revelation 22:13). As the great I AM, We — God as Father, Spirit, and Son — announced Our identity to Moses when We called him to lead Our people to freedom (Exodus 3:1-15). I AM Who I AM for all eternity. I announced this to My people facing hardship, unfaithfulness, apostasy, and persecution around the end of the first century. I called them to holy living and to be My faithful witnesses even if it cost them their lives (Revelation 21:6-8). I AM Who I AM for all eternity. I announced this to My disciples repeatedly. John records My “I AM” statements in his gospel: I AM — the bread that gives life (John 6:35), the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:41), the living bread (John 6:51), the light that shines through the cosmos (John 8:12), the gate of the sheep (John 10:7-9), the good shepherd (John 10:11-14), the resurrection and the source of all life (John 11:25), the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6 NIV), and the true vine (John 15:1-5). I share these truths with you because there is nothing I needed to do to earn My position and place as Lord. I became human flesh to show Satan, the world of demons, and the power structures corrupted by humans that I AM Who I AM for all eternity. I suffered the gross indignities of an illegal trial, physical abuse, and death on a cross to triumph over death and Satan through My resurrection from the dead. The apostle Paul recognized this sacrifice and triumph as validation of every holy and righteous claim made about Me. Paul had been an unbeliever — one who even considered Me to be a blasphemer. But his discovery of My resurrection convicted him of My true identity. He recognized Me as Jesus, the Anointed (the Christ and Messiah), and the one true Lord. He declared that I AM “ultimately designated to be the true Son of God with power upon His [My] resurrection from the dead by the Spirit of holiness.” Paul’s life was changed by this astounding revelation of My identity. He spoke of it this way: But God — Who set me apart even before birth and called me by His grace — chose, to His great delight, to reveal His Son in me so I could tell His story among the outsider nations. (Galatians 1:15-16) I want this realization of My identity, this revelation of Who I AM and what I was willing to do for you, to be the reason for your changed life as well! Verses to Live Paul’s call to live for Me and find the mission of his life in sharing the message of My grace emanated from My being revealed to him — see his declaration of this in the verses below. And now, dear friend, remember that I call you to recognize Me for Who I have always been and forever will be, to respond with your commitment to be a living witness to My grace in your life, and to share that grace with others who do not know Me. Your call may not take you all over the world like Paul. However, it will most certainly shape the way you live and interact with those around you. Think about all of this as you read of Paul’s testimony about his call, a call rooted in My resurrection from the dead. Paul, a servant of Jesus the Anointed called by God to be His emissary and appointed to tell the good news of the things promised long ago by God, spoken by prophets, and recorded in the Holy Scriptures. All of this good news is about His Son: Who was (from a human perspective) born of David’s royal line and ultimately designated to be the true Son of God with power upon His resurrection from the dead by the Spirit of holiness. I am speaking of Jesus, the Anointed One, our Lord. And here’s what He’s done: He has graced us and sanctioned us as His emissaries whose mission is to spread the one true and obedient faith to all people in the name of Jesus. This includes you: you have been called by Jesus, God’s Anointed. (Romans 1:1-6) Response in Prayer Almighty God, the Eternal, the great I AM, please help me understand my call to testify to the grace of Jesus. Open my eyes to the ways I can lovingly and gently influence and lead others to know Jesus and His grace. I claim the promise of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will give me words to say and strength to say them in ways that are effective. I ask for this grace and for the ability to fully discern Your call in My life, 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 – Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… I don’t know about you, but I know I’ve grown soft and spoiled because of all the conveniences I have allowed into my life. If these conveniences were to vanish suddenly, could I, would I, honor God with my praises and thanksgiving? I sure hope so. I am committed to doing so. I want to be like Paul and live with the assurance that I can withstand any situation with the help of Christ Jesus — even if it is imprisonment and the abandonment of friends as Paul was facing. My Prayer… O God, my strength would fade without you, and my confidence would fail. Thankfully, I will never have to worry about this because your grace, your Spirit, and your Son. These strengthen me and help me weather any storm. I believe you will never abandon me. Thank you, 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.
No Matter What!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I do not promise you that following Me will be easy. Some of My greatest and most faithful servants faced severe testing, hardship, and even martyrdom. That is still true in your day. You are asked to live with the character and compassion of the Father in a world that doesn’t appreciate those values. So when times of testing and hardship come, I want you to remember today’s promises — they are highlighted in the verses below, but I want to emphasize them so you will remember them: Nothing can separate you from My love for you — nothing, not even death! I have destroyed the power of death. It cannot hold you. I have brought you life and immortality through My resurrection from the dead and your faith in My resurrection! As I told you yesterday, I endured all of the shame and pain of the cross so that you could know the Father’s love and know I love you and will NEVER betray, deny, or abandon you. I AM alive forever… for you! Verses to Live Carefully read these words from Paul. He lived a life of absolute passion and courage because he believed the promises he shared. These promises are true and will always be true for you! As you read these words, remember that Paul lived through extreme trials and hardships (2 Corinthians 11:24-30) because he personally trusted in the words he shared. The second set of verses below comes from Paul as he was actually awaiting martyrdom (2 Timothy 4:6-8; Acts 20:22-24). His faith was undimmed. His heart was as passionate for Me and the gospel as when he began his ministry. So who can separate us? What can come between us and the love of God’s Anointed [Jesus]? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death? The answer is, absolutely nothing. As the psalm says, On Your behalf, our lives are endangered constantly; we are like sheep awaiting slaughter. But no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him Who loved us. (Romans 8:35-37) Don’t be embarrassed to testify about our Lord or for me, His prisoner. Join us in suffering for the good news by the strength and power of God. God has already saved us and called us to this holy calling — not because of any good works we may have done, but because of His own intention and because eons and eons ago (before time itself existed), He gave us this grace in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King. And now, the time has come! That grace was revealed when our Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appeared; and through His resurrection He has wiped out death and brought to light life and immortality by way of this good news. (2 Timothy 1:8-10) Response in Prayer Lord Jesus, today I not only thank the Father, I also thank You. I thank You for Your promised presence in my life. I thank you for being at the Father’s side as my advocate to intercede for me. I thank You for the price You paid to experience my world in human flesh. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for all You have done and all you do for me and all who have an undying love for You. 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.