Today’s Verse – 2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. —2 Corinthians 12:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… While other preachers in Paul’s day were parading and bragging about their credentials, Paul refused to get into such self-centered contests to prove he was the most impressive of Jesus’ disciples. Even though he had the religious education and Jewish pedigree to silence his rivals, he preferred to acknowledge the areas of his weakness where God triumphed over his limitations. God had taught Paul that heaven’s power was most on display in Paul’s weakness, like Jesus’ power over the evil one, which he demonstrated through the cross — the ultimate sign of weakness (Colossians 2:12-15). God demonstrated his power through what Paul did in his weakness so the glory could go to God! Let’s be careful about determining someone’s ministryworthiness based on his or her resume or reputation. Instead, let’s honor people in whom God’s grace has triumphed through their weakness! My Prayer… Almighty and loving Father, thank you for sustaining and enabling me to serve you in ways I would never have dreamed of doing. Please help me serve you faithfully as I depend upon your grace in my weakness. 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.
The Great Invitation
Note from Jesus Dear Seeker, Yesterday, I warned about one false way to approach My invitation to the table of grace — you should not come with a haughty and self-important attitude. You need to come to My Table with humility demonstrated in a life of serving others. You need to come looking for others who need to be at My table of grace. Today, I am warning you of another false approach: You can take My offer of grace lightly. You can forget how blessed you are to be invited and find other things that feel more important to you at the moment and put off My invitation of grace. Please understand, there is nothing more important in your life at any time than accepting My invitation to share in the Father’s grace. Nothing! Yes, I know there are important things going on in your life right now. I know there are people who may not understand why responding to My invitation is so important. There may even be people who have their feelings hurt when you choose to respond to My invitation. There may be others who ridicule you or reject you completely for your choice to accept My invitation and follow Me. However, I want you to hear Me. I am journeying to Jerusalem when I share the message in the verses below. I know I am going there to die for the sins of the people — including your sins. I am going to sacrifice Myself — My dignity and My life — for you. Once you understand this, you need to respond immediately to My invitation if you have not already done so. There is nothing more important. I gave Myself to give you a place at My table of grace; don’t spurn My invitation by assuming you have time later to respond. Today is the day of your invitation. Don’t reject the grace that is offered you, today! If you have accepted My invitation, then please always remember the price I paid to give you a place at My table. Verses to Live I love Doctor Luke because he talks about My ministry around food. The first paragraph in the verses below includes one of these references to table fellowship (Luke 14:1) and serves as an introduction to today’s message. I have spent both yesterday and today teaching you about the grace of joining Me at My table and reminding you of those you should include — friends, critics, opponents, the marginalized, and the lost. Today’s message, dear seeker, is especially important for you. Some with whom I share this message have never really accepted the grace I came to provide. Others have never really committed themselves to the life of discipleship. Others have treated My invitation of grace with disrespect. Please hear My urgent words to you in the verses that follow! Another Sabbath Day came and Jesus was invited to an official’s home for a meal. This fellow was a leader of the Pharisees, and Jesus was still under close surveillance by them. … Guest: Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God! Jesus: A man once hosted a huge banquet and invited many guests. When the time came, he sent his servant to tell the guests who had agreed to come, “We’re ready! Come now!” But then every single guest began to make excuses. One said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I just bought some land, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.” Another said, “So sorry. I just bought five pairs of oxen. I need to go check them out. Please excuse me.” Another said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.” The servant returned and reported their responses to his master. His master was angry and told the servant, “Go out quickly to the streets and alleys around town and bring the poor, the amputees, the blind, and the cripples.” The servant came back again: “Sir, I’ve done as you said, but there is still more room.” And the host said, “Well then, go out to the highways and hedges and bring in the complete strangers you find there, until my house is completely full. One thing is for sure, not one single person on the original guest list shall enjoy this banquet.” (Luke 14:1; Luke 14:15-24) Response in Prayer Almighty God, I accept the offer of grace You have given Me in Jesus! I believe Jesus is Your Son, the long-promised Christ, the Messiah of Israel, and Lord and Savior of the world. I believe Jesus died for my sins, that He was buried, and that He rose on the third day, defeating the power of sin and death to control me. So I commit to following Jesus passionately and doing what He asks of me and rejoicing in His grace shared with me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, 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.
23 Jan 2025
May the Lord break the chains that have held us bound and set us free for His glory and so that more may believe in Him. May He have mercy on us and give us relief, even though the situation may look hopeless. John 11:17-45.
Daily Prayer for January 23
The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all…Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul. Psalm 103:19, 22, NIV Dear Father in heaven,we thank you for giving our hearts hope for your kingdom, the kingdom of God. We thank you that again and again we may draw strength from this hope, find new youthfulness and courage, and discover how powerfully, though hidden, your kingdom is already approaching. Protect this vision and help us when we fail. All will come right. Whatever happens, we are in your hands, and no one shall snatch this joy from our hearts. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Life Without Magic James Smoker In H. G. Parry’s novel The Magician’s Daughter, a sixteen-year-old chooses to leave a magical island for the the wider world. Read now Sobriety Mountain Jaime N. Green Mind the false summit: when you think you’ve all but conquered, you’ve only just begun. Read now The Jakob Hutter Story Jason Landsel, Sankha Banerjee and Richard Mommsen In this excerpt from By Fire, a radical reformer risks everything for a cause. Read now Iron Sharpens Iron Johann H. Huleatt Real friendship is the most powerful education. Read now Where Is the Kingdom of Heaven? Dorothy L. Sayers Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is among us, or even within us. Why, then, does it remain so elusive? Read now
Today’s Verse – Romans 5:9-10
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! —Romans 5:9-10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus did more than die for our sins; he lives as our resurrected LORD. So, since God emptied heaven of the Son, had him die on the cross for our sins, and then raised him from the dead to save us, imagine what God has in store for us now that he has saved us! We have only seen the beginnings of God’s love for us, and even though what we have seen is amazing, God will do more than we can ask or imagine for us through the power and presence of our resurrected LORD and Savior, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that he gives us (Ephesians 3:20-21). My Prayer… Holy LORD, we look forward to the day we get to see you and experience your grace in all its glory when we meet Jesus in that glory.* Please inspire us to be courageous and confident when facing challenges in the future. We want to live faithfully and victoriously before others, knowing Jesus is alive forever for us. Father, we believe that the best of what Jesus wants to do in us and through us lies ahead, so use us to your glory. In Jesus’ name, we know we are forgiven as we pray confidently and anticipate our future glory with him. Amen. * This prayer was inspired by Colossians 3:1-4.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.
Who Sits at Your Table of Grace?
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, You have been blessed with great honor to be included at My table of grace! When you come and remember Me at what you call “the Lord‘s Table” and share in what some of you call “Holy Communion” (“the Eucharist” or “the Lord‘s Supper”), please remember how precious the opportunity is for you and all who share this sacred feast. While the events you read about in the verses below happened as I was working My way to Jerusalem and My crucifixion, Luke recorded this story for you. So I want you to place yourself at the table and hear the words that I say as if I addressed them specifically to you. When you come to My table and participate in communion, remember the following two key messages that I shared long ago and know that I want them to be fresh in your mind each time you come to My table! So what are these two messages? First, be thankful you have received My invitation of grace and are invited to sit at My table as part of My family. Don’t try to make yourself seem important. In My family, those trying to appear special and be publically honored as important will be sent to a lower place of importance. I value those who serve others with humility and grace. I value the person who gives of himself or herself to bless others. Such a person is honored in My family and at My table. Remember, I gave Myself for you to invite you to My table. Your life should reflect the character and compassion that I have shown you! Second, when you share in the grace of My table, ask yourself who needs to be there but is absent. Ask yourself who in the world around you — in your neighborhood, in your inner city, in your workplace, and on your street corners — needs this grace. My meal is not intended to be for a clique of people who feel they are superior to others. My table is a place to give thanks for the grace that brought you to My table. My table is a reminder to extend My grace to those who don’t know the acceptance, love, and grace of My family. My beloved disciple, John, described it this way: My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate Who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins — and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. (1 John 2:1-2 NLT) So who in your world needs to know about My grace and join us at My table? Just as I made room at My table of grace for you, please extend that grace to others! Verses to Live Luke’s words of introduction set the stage for today’s message. This message focuses on a series of My teachings on eating and sharing table fellowship. Remember, as you read these words, they need to be fresh, newly spoken by Me directly to your heart! Another Sabbath Day came and Jesus was invited to an official’s home for a meal. This fellow was a leader of the Pharisees, and Jesus was still under close surveillance by them. … He noticed how the guests were jockeying for places of honor at the dinner, so He gave them advice. Jesus: Whenever someone invites you to a wedding dinner, don’t sit at the head table. Someone more important than you might also have been invited, and your host will have to humiliate you publicly by telling you to give your seat to the other guest and to go find an open seat in the back of the room. Instead, go and sit in the back of the room. Then your host may find you and say, “My friend! Why are you sitting back here? Come up to this table near the front!” Then you will be publicly honored in front of everyone. Listen, if you lift yourself up, you’ll be put down, but if you humble yourself, you’ll be honored. Jesus still wasn’t finished. Now He turned to the host who had invited Him to this gathering. Jesus: When you host a dinner or banquet, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they might invite you to a party of their own, and you’ll be repaid for your kindness. Instead, invite the poor, the amputees, the cripples, the blind. Then you’ll be blessed because they can never repay you. Your reward will come from God at the resurrection of the just and good. (Luke 14:1; Luke 14:7-14) Response in Prayer O God, my loving heavenly Father, I thank You for Your grace. Thank You for inviting me to the table of Your grace, an invitation given to me through Jesus’ sacrifice. Forgive me when I take the Supper without recognizing that I am a part of the family at Jesus’ table because of grace, not because of my religious pedigree or my own earned righteousness. Holy Spirit, when I come to the Table, please stir my heart and remind me to invite others to the Lord‘s Table of grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, 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.
22 Jan 2025
Our deliverance from such covenants is based on the finished work of the cross of Christ and the blood He shed, and on our faith in Him. It starts with our acceptance of who He is and what He did for us. Galatians 3:13-14.
Daily Prayer for January 22
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and l will give you rest. Matthew 11:28, RSV Dear Father in heaven, grant us the inner quiet we need so that we may come into your presence and hear you speak, forgetting all the things that try to force themselves upon us. May we experience your true and living support. Keep our hearts glad and thankful for everything, even in grief, anxiety, and suffering. In this thankfulness we can remain with you, and Jesus Christ can help us, Jesus, whom you have given as our support and helper in all that most deeply concerns us. We entrust ourselves to you. Keep us in your Spirit. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Sobriety Mountain Jaime N. Green Mind the false summit: when you think you’ve all but conquered, you’ve only just begun. Read now The Jakob Hutter Story Jason Landsel, Sankha Banerjee and Richard Mommsen In this excerpt from By Fire, a radical reformer risks everything for a cause. Read now Iron Sharpens Iron Johann H. Huleatt Real friendship is the most powerful education. Read now Where Is the Kingdom of Heaven? Dorothy L. Sayers Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is among us, or even within us. Why, then, does it remain so elusive? Read now Lernvergnügenstag: A Day for the Joy of Learning Patrick Tomassi Once a year, I get to teach my students whatever inspires me. Read now
Hard to Truly Follow
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, Follower… what an interesting term to use with you. To truly follow Me means becoming My disciple. A disciple is a person who spends her or his lifetime learning to live like Me. There is no cost too great to pay. Now in your day, you can “follow” someone on Twitter® or Facebook® and not even be a real friend. What you really mean in your world about being a “follower” is that you are just an observer — you can hang around, listen in on conversations, wander in and out of connection with someone, and generally do with that relationship whatever you choose. Not so with “following” Me! If you are going to follow Me, it’s going to cost you because you have to put Me first in… everything. You have to commit to have My character become your character, to have My compassion become your compassion, and to having My story become your story. The problem with following Me is that you inevitably have to face a cross of some kind. You have to resign from living for yourself and commit to being willing to live and possibly even die for Me and My work. So I am focusing on My words below on the importance of counting the cost of following Me. It will cost you everything… including yourself! Are you ready to pay that cost? I know that many churches and preachers in your day tell you about all the perks in following Me and being a part of their church. Unfortunately, they are sometimes talking only about superficial perks, not the truly costly and transformational blessings of following me. It’s almost as if they have to tease and entice you into following Me. But don’t buy the deception. It’s hard following Me. I call you to surrender your life to Me and to My movement. Count the cost. The cost is high. I use extreme language to drive home My point because there is something I cannot tolerate — something that critics of folks claiming to be My followers can’t tolerate — and that is folks who do not live up to what they tell everyone else they must do. Don’t be like salt that loses its taste and is worthless. You are called to make a difference in your world as My follower. So count the cost… but never forget, because I paid the high cost of the cross, I made sure through the resurrection that any cost you pay is well worth your investment! Verses to Live I always had a tug-of-war going on in My heart over the crowds. They were fickle. Most in the crowd didn’t believe; they wanted to see My miracles and be along for the spectacle, but they didn’t want to pay the price to follow Me. So I often used strong words to back them off or send them home… unless they saw that I had come from God and they truly wanted to follow Me. What are you going to do with these hard words? Great crowds joined Him [Jesus] on His journey, and He turned to them. Jesus: If any of you come to Me without hating your own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and yes, even your own life, you can’t be My disciple. If you don’t carry your own cross as if to your own execution as you follow Me, you can’t be part of My movement. Just imagine that you want to build a tower. Wouldn’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to be sure you have enough to finish what you start? If you lay the foundation but then can’t afford to finish the tower, everyone will mock you: “Look at that guy who started something that he couldn’t finish!” Or imagine a king gearing up to go to war. Wouldn’t he begin by sitting down with his advisors to determine whether his 10,000 troops could defeat the opponent’s 20,000 troops? If not, he’ll send a peace delegation quickly and negotiate a peace treaty. In the same way, if you want to be My disciple, it will cost you everything. Don’t underestimate that cost! Don’t be like salt that has lost its taste. How can its saltiness be restored? Flavorless salt is absolutely worthless. You can’t even use it as fertilizer, so it’s worth less than manure! Don’t just listen to My words here. Get the deeper meaning. (Luke 14:25-35) Response in Prayer O Father, I know following Jesus will be filled with hard challenges, not just the challenges of normal life, but also the challenges that Jesus’ enemies and Satan’s allies will throw in my path. Even so, dear Father, I truly want to follow Jesus… to become like Him in how He lived with character and compassion. So I ask for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit to give me added courage and endurance as the Spirit works at conforming me to Jesus, my Teacher, Savior, and Lord, in Whose name I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, 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.
21 Jan 2025
Are there patterns in your life or your lineage / family history that keep showing up? Drunkenness, broken relationships, unforgiveness, premature death, lack of productivity, laziness, distractions, etc? Pray that the Lord will reveal them to you. May He guide you on how to pray and bring them down. Replace them with godly altars, e.g. unforgiveness with forgiveness, premature death with long life, sickness with health, etc. Judges 6:22-32.