Despised?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, During My earthly ministry, I warned My disciples that following Me would not be easy. The words you read in the verses below were spoken right before My own rejection, betrayal, arrest, torture, crucifixion, and death. My warnings sounded ominous to those disciples gathered around Me on the night of My betrayal. This particular part of My warnings took on a much greater sense of foreboding after My crucifixion: “If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. … If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less.” The beloved disciple remembered these words of warning and reiterated them decades later: “Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you” (1 John 3:13). Persecution has been and will continue to be very much a part of being My disciple (2 Timothy 3:12). When your role model is the crucified Messiah, then you should expect to face some pretty stout challenges yourself. In the first part of the verses below, I told My disciples the reasons that they would face persecution. Persecution and loss of rights for My disciples are becoming more and more prevalent in your world, too. Just like My first followers, you need to know that you are not alone as you face trials, ostracism, distrust, false accusations, persecution, and even death. I AM with you! I promised My disciples that I would be with them through the presence of the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit. In today’s verses, this promise follows immediately after the very honest acknowledgement of the hardships. The work of the Holy Spirit is to be with you, to be My presence in you, and to give you peace. The Spirit is your Helper and Advocate. Even in the worst of situations, the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say when you are under trial (Luke 12:11-12). Even if all others seem to abandon you in your hour of need, I will never abandon you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-6). You may face difficult times, but you will never have to face them alone! Verses to Live Please remember that I have called you to be different from the world. I have called you to be salt and light in the world of decay and darkness. You are not “of the world,” so the world won’t accept you. Yet be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. My glorious position is your assurance of future glory! Jesus: If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. If you were a product of the world order, then it would love you. But you are not a product of the world because I have taken you out of it, and it despises you for that very reason. Don’t forget what I have spoken to you: “a servant is not greater than the master.” If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less. If they accepted what I have spoken, they will also hear you. Everything they do to you they will do on My account because they do not know the One Who has sent Me. If I had not spoken within their hearing, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for ignoring My voice. If someone despises Me, he also despises My Father. If I had not demonstrated things for them that have never been done, they would not be guilty of sin. But the reality is they have stared Me in the face, and they have despised Me and the Father nonetheless. Yet their law, which says, “They despised Me without any cause,” has again been proven true. I will send a great Helper to you from the Father, one known as the Spirit of truth. He comes from the Father and will point to the truth as it concerns Me. But you will also point others to the truth about My identity, because you have journeyed with Me since this all began. (John 15:18-27) Response in Prayer I pray to You, dear Father of mercy and God of all grace. Sometimes I feel like I am swimming upstream against the current of popular opinion because I follow Jesus. Forgive me, dear Father, for being weak at times. Remind me of Your abiding presence within me through the Holy Spirit. Give me words to say to those who doubt or disbelieve You. Give me wisdom to know how and when to share my faith in Jesus with others. Bless me with courage when I feel alone and with confidence to remember Jesus’ promise of the Spirit’s presence and help in my times of need. 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.
Daily Prayer for May 10
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7, NIV Lord our God, our Father in heaven, bless us who have become united in our hope in you and in our expectation of your help on this earth, where people live in all kinds of foolish ways. Bless your Word within us. Grant us your Holy Spirit to restore life and gladness to our hearts, even in grief and suffering. Grant this not only in the distress of the whole world, but also in our own lives as long as we remain on this earth. Let signs be seen on every hand that you help us and give us a strength we can rely on. You help us in all circumstances every day, every year, ever anew. For this we thank you and praise your name. Amen. Recent articles on Plough GEDs for Myanmar Migrants Rebecca Newton Partners Relief & Development is working to establish a new educational program in Thailand. Read now The Wardens and the Poachers Kevin LaTorre A shared love of North Carolina’s wild places and game animals unites hunters and law enforcement, leading to successful conservation. Read now When the Lord Ascends Adrienne von Speyr With the Ascension, a connection is torn asunder and our souls are freed – a freedom whose source is the ascending Son, a freedom toward God. Read now The Sparrow Jane Tyson Clement In this short story, a drunken husband finds he is not beyond redemption. Read now Are You a Tree? Joy Marie Clarkson Or are you a potted plant? Read now
Today’s Verse – 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. —1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God didn’t save us to condemn us (John 3:17). No, he saved us so we could come home to him and enjoy his gracious presence for all eternity. God wants us in his presence; that’s what salvation is all about. He is not about to let anything keep us from that presence when our hearts belong to him. We are all headed home to our Father so that “we may live together with him” — whether we are awake (by that he means alive) or whether we have fallen asleep in Jesus (by that he means dead in Christ) — we’re going to live together with him, forever! My Prayer… Loving Father, thank you for my confidence in Jesus! I know that whether I live till Jesus comes or if I were to die this very day, I can have confidence that my future is with you because it is tied to Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and hell. Thank you for giving me a home with you as my ultimate future. In Jesus’ name, I thank and praise you. 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.
Let’s Stay Connected!
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Before I ascended to the Father, I promised My disciples that I would send the Spirit. I promised I would pour out the Spirit on people with faith in Me as they were baptized into Me (John 7:37-39; Titus 3:3-7). On the night I was betrayed, I reiterated this promise over and over again as I talked to My closest disciples about the Spirit being their Helper when I was gone (John chapters 14-16). The Helper’s presence would be their assurance that We — Father, Son, and Spirit — make our home in you and We will never leave or forsake you. I want you to know that My promise to send the Helper is for you, too. In your world, a house can have many power outlets. However, the electric devices and appliances won’t be able to fulfill their purposes unless they are connected to the power source. The same is true for the work of the Spirit in your life. The Helper is My power source for you. You need the Spirit’s presence and power in your life to fulfill your purpose as My disciple. I emphasized that your part of this process is to love Me and obey what I call you to do: The one who loves Me will do the things I have commanded. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you. (John 14:21) Your obedience, your commitment to abide in Me and live for Me, connects you to that power source found in the Helper’s presence. Today’s verses that you find below remind you to stay connected to Me. Our relationship is organic and relational, not mechanical or just organizational. You abide in Me. I am your vine. You are My branch. There is no source of true life for a literal branch unless it remains connected to the vine, and there is no everlasting source of life in you unless you remain connected to Me! You remain connected to Me — you connect to the power source of the Holy Spirit, the Helper I’ve sent to you — when you choose to love. In My earthly ministry, I taught the importance of love being the guiding star in your life as you seek to live for Me: Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, a group of Pharisees met to consider new questions that might trip up Jesus. A legal expert thought of one that would certainly stump Him. Pharisees: Teacher, of all the laws, which commandment is the greatest? Jesus (quoting Scripture): “Love the Eternal One your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is nearly as important, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The rest of the law, and all the teachings of the prophets, are but variations on these themes. (Matthew 22:34-40) You remain connected to Me when you love Us — Father, Son, and Spirit — with all your heart, soul, and mind and when you share that love with others. When you love Us, you live in My love as well as share My love with everyone with whom you interact. The Spirit within you will be your source of a never-ending supply of this love (Romans 5:5). So stay connected to Me and to each other by loving and by living in My love. Keep the love flowing! Verses to Live The image of the vine and branches is a powerful one that illustrates a spiritual truth you must not neglect: you must remain connected to Me! Jesus: I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; already you are clean because you have heard My voice. Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn. If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father. I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love. I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction, which is why I am telling you all of this. My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. You celebrate our friendship if you obey this command. I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends. You did not choose Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. This is My command to you: love one another. (John 15:1-17) Response in Prayer O God, please move through the Holy Spirit within me and help me love others ever more completely,
09 May 2024
And as the Lord works in our lives to do His will, transformation will happen. Our faith will please Him and even what seemed impossible will become possible. May we find favour with Him and may He do amazing things in our midst. Philippians 1:1-11.
Daily Prayer for May 9
The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Isaiah 60:19, NIV Lord, our God and Father, we thank you that in all the misery and night on earth you have let your hope dawn as a light shining for all your people – all who honor your name, all who dwell in Jesus Christ through forgiveness of sins and through resurrection to a new life. Praise to your name. Praise to Jesus Christ. Praise to the Holy Spirit, who can comfort, teach, and guide our hearts. O Father in heaven, we can never thank you enough that we are allowed to be a people full of grace, full of hope, and full of confidence that your kingdom is coming at last to bring salvation and peace for the whole world. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Wardens and the Poachers Kevin LaTorre A shared love of North Carolina’s wild places and game animals unites hunters and law enforcement, leading to successful conservation. Read now When the Lord Ascends Adrienne von Speyr With the Ascension, a connection is torn asunder and our souls are freed – a freedom whose source is the ascending Son, a freedom toward God. Read now The Sparrow Jane Tyson Clement In this short story, a drunken husband finds he is not beyond redemption. Read now Are You a Tree? Joy Marie Clarkson Or are you a potted plant? Read now Intentional Community: The Fantasy and the Reality Ben Cribbin I hoped to find meaning, purpose, and relationship in an intentional community. The strongest impediment, I discovered, was myself. Read now
Today’s Verse – Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God didn’t wait till we were “good enough” to bring us his salvation. Notice the words in this context (Romans 5:6-10) to describe us without grace: powerless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies. God sent Jesus when we were lost and desperately needed his grace. But then, that’s what love really means by God’s definition and chosen actions (1 John 3:16). It’s more than something declared or felt; it’s something radically demonstrated! My Prayer… Holy and loving Father, thank you for demonstrating your love in such powerful and sacrificial ways through Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
I Will Be with You!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, My return to the Father after My crucifixion and resurrection was important for many reasons. However, for My apostles, the experience of losing My presence on earth was terrifying. After My crucifixion, they had retreated to an upper room in Jerusalem behind a locked door not knowing what to do (John 20:19-20). While My resurrection raised their hopes, after forty days they still had to adjust to life without My physical presence. After I had left them to return to the Father, they remembered that I had told them that I was going back to the Father. My leaving would have been even more troubling to them if I had not given them the promises that you read in the verses below. My return to the Father would not mean that I had left them: I would continue to live in them and be with them, and they would remember My life and words because I would send them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word John used to speak about “the Spirit of truth” was paraklaetos — translated as “Helper,” “Comforter,” “Counselor,” and “Advocate” in different versions of the Bible. The presence of the Helper would ensure that they would not be left alone to do the work I would later call them to do. They would never face the opportunities and trials of discipleship alone. The Spirit, the Helper, ensured the presence of the Father along with My presence. Our presence would bring them peace — My peace, not peace like the world gives, but everlasting and life-altering peace. My promise began with My assurance that I would bring My disciples home to Me (John 14:1-3 — see My note from yesterday). In today’s Scripture, however, I assure them that they would not have to wait till they come to Us for Us to make Our home with them. Since they would obey and live for Us, we would choose to make Our home with them. Now here is a great thing about these promises that were originally made to My earliest disciples: these promises are for you, too! Look at My promise. Each word was chosen carefully so that you could know that you are included: Anyone who loves Me will listen to My voice and obey. The Father will love him, and We will draw close to him and make a dwelling place within him. That means the following promises that I made are your promises as well: I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, Who will remain constantly with you. I will never abandon you like orphans; I will return to be with you. Because I live, you will also live. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you. The Father will love him [anyone who loves and obeys God], and We will draw close to him and make a dwelling place within him. The Father is sending a great Helper, the Holy Spirit, in My name to teach you everything and to remind you of all I have said to you. My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I will go away, but I will also return to be with you. So I hope you can see that My physical absence is not a disadvantage for you, just as it was not a disadvantage for the early disciples. On Pentecost, I poured out the Holy Spirit on them to do My work and bring My presence to them (Acts 2:2-4; Acts 2:33). At your baptism, I poured out this same Holy Spirit on you (Titus 3:3-7). These promises are for you. I encourage you to learn all you can about the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that I have sent to live in you and be My presence with you. And today, I want you to rest assured in the peace of God that passes all understanding that you will never be alone. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — have made our home in you until you can come home to Us and share Our home with Us! This assurance should bring you everlasting peace. If you would like to learn more about the Holy Spirit through a short daily devotional on the Spirit’s work, check Heartlight’s devotional God’s Holy Fire — you can subscribe and receive God’s Holy Fire free in your inbox every day. Verses to Live Be blessed by these promises about the Spirit, the Helper that I have sent to you. Remember, these words are not just for the apostles who first heard them, but also to anyone who is truly My disciple. May these words bring you peace. Jesus: If you love Me, obey the commandments I have given you. I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, Who will remain constantly with you. The world does not recognize the Spirit of truth, because it does not know the Spirit and is unable to receive Him. But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you. I will never abandon you like orphans; I will return to be with you. In a little while, the world will not see Me; but I will not vanish completely from your sight. Because I live, you will also live. At that time, you will know that I am in the Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who loves Me will do the things I have commanded. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you. The Other Judas: Lord, why will You reveal Yourself to us, but not to the world? Jesus: Anyone who loves Me will listen to My voice and obey. The Father will love him, and
08 May 2024
A good measure of faith in God is required if we are to maintain our sanity in the midst of all that is going on around us. We must believe that God exists and that He hears us when we call. That He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. Psalm 69:13-18.
Daily Prayer for May 8
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble…The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:1, 7, RSV Lord, Almighty God of heaven and earth, grant that we may come to you as your children. For you have chosen us through the gospel, and Jesus Christ has obtained mercy for us so that in you we have a refuge in disturbed and evil times. We turn to your Word, Lord God, rejoicing that again and again the whole of Christendom is led back to your Word. Strengthen all those who serve your Word, who look to you and to the grace of Jesus Christ. Grant that everywhere we may have hope and joy in the redemption you will bring in every situation, also in our ordinary practical life. Grant that through this redemption the earth may proclaim your praise and honor your name, your kingdom may come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen. Recent articles on Plough When the Lord Ascends Adrienne von Speyr With the Ascension, a connection is torn asunder and our souls are freed – a freedom whose source is the ascending Son, a freedom toward God. Read now The Sparrow Jane Tyson Clement In this short story, a drunken husband finds he is not beyond redemption. Read now Are You a Tree? Joy Marie Clarkson Or are you a potted plant? Read now Intentional Community: The Fantasy and the Reality Ben Cribbin I hoped to find meaning, purpose, and relationship in an intentional community. The strongest impediment, I discovered, was myself. Read now Get Ready to Be Changed Dietrich von Hildebrand Saint or sinner, all of us must be changed by Christ. Read now