Rules Versus Right Hearts
Note from Jesus Please Note: Due to an error in our content management software, ‘A Year with Jesus’ Devotionals have been out of sequence for this year. After considering all remedies, we have decided to return to the intended order of devotionals just in time for Lent. Unfortunately this means there will be duplicates of previous devotionals that were mistakenly sent out of order. We deeply regret this mistake and apologize for the situation. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as a faithful reader of this devotional. Dear Disciple, You are probably aware that I had many disagreements with the Pharisees, scribes, and scholars during My time on earth and that I openly opposed them for their ungodly teachings and actions. In fact, a lot of My strongest condemnations were directed at the legalism and hypocrisy of these religious leaders (e.g., Matthew 23:1-33). However, I want you to understand something very important about these disagreements. I agreed with these people on nearly all of the principles they taught about the morality that God wants for His people and about adherence to God’s commands. Where I disagreed with them was on the way to achieve what God wants. Their goal was to create a set of rules — called the (oral) traditions of the ancestors — that were taught as God’s law. These rules were designed to be a hedge around the Torah to prevent anyone from getting close to breaking the commands of God. Their desire was good — to honor the character and compassion of God in their behavior. However, their design was severely flawed since external rules cannot create a holy person; true transformation has to come from the heart. While some people have tried to make My teaching into something soft and easy to fit their lifestyles, if you look carefully at My teachings, you will see that is not the case. Rather, I want people to examine their hearts. I want them to look deeper than a set of rules and listen for the heart and will of God in His teachings. To put it into the language of the issues in the verses below, let Me say it directly: I came to be a heart surgeon and not a hand washer! External rules cannot get to the real issue that lies behind all behavior: the heart! Listen to the words of the Father through the prophet Ezekiel: I will give them a new will — an undivided heart — and plant a new spirit within them; I will remove their cold, stony heart and replace it with a warm heart of flesh. Then they will follow My commands and uphold My laws and actually do as I say. They will be My people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20). I came to try to win your heart to God and to transform it by the power of the Holy Spirit living in you! Don’t think that there are no people like Pharisees in your day. All around, people have turned discipleship into rule keeping, thinking they can make rules to keep people holy. It doesn’t work. The apostle Paul had to deal with the problem a few years after My resurrection. Notice what he said about rule-keeping to the Colossians: You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. (Colossians 2:20-23 NLT) The solution to this problem? A new, clean, and right heart. King David wrestled with ungodliness and did some despicable things. Yet he realized the power to change was not in making harder sets of rules, but in asking God for a cleansed and transformed heart that could change him from the inside out: Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. … Give back to me the deep delight of being saved by You; let Your willing Spirit sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12) Verses to Live I have sent the Holy Spirit to live within you as a baptized believer. The Holy Spirit is at work to transform you from the inside out. However, you need to offer your heart to Me each day. Ask Me to do the work you cannot do on your own, to cleanse and to transform the desires of your heart. Rules cannot change your heart; they can only alter some of your behavior for awhile. Before long, your rules will become more important than the will of God and your heart can be far away from the heart of God, the very God you are trying to please with your rules! Then the Pharisees returned to talk with Jesus [after He had healed many people (Mark 6:53-56)], and with them came some of the scribes and scholars from Jerusalem. Scribes and Scholars (seeing the disciples eating): Your disciples are eating bread with defiled, unwashed hands. Now you need to know that the Pharisees, and all Jews for that matter, held the tradition of their ancestors that hands must be washed before eating to avoid being ritually unclean. Likewise, they washed when they returned from the market and followed similar purity teachings as well, from the washing of their food to the washing of their bowls, cups, and kettles. Scribes and Pharisees: Why don’t Your disciples follow the traditions passed down to us? Why do they eat their bread with defiled hands? Jesus: Isaiah prophesied wisely about your religious pretensions when he wrote, These people honor Me with words off their lips; meanwhile their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is empty, void
Extraordinary God!
Note from Jesus Please Note: Due to an error in our content management software, ‘A Year with Jesus’ Devotionals have been out of sequence for this year. After considering all remedies, we have decided to return to the intended order of devotionals just in time for Lent. Unfortunately this means there will be duplicates of previous devotionals that were mistakenly sent out of order. We deeply regret this mistake and apologize for the situation. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as a faithful reader of this devotional. Dear Child of God, What is your greatest need? Seems like a simple question, doesn’t it? But when you look deeper, the events in the verses below from in My life story clarify some things for you… including what three of your deepest needs are! First, many times people going through hard times, especially if they involve illness, think that a cure for their disease is the most important thing. However, in this story, the man who was paralyzed received blessings that far outweighed having his physical problem removed. This man had friends. These determined friends were willing to take risks that could cost them something. These were friends of faith. I saw their faith and it led Me to help this man with his greatest need. He needed forgiveness. He needed a right relationship restored with the Father. I gave him that at great risk and cost to Me because of the reaction of the Jewish leaders to My ministry. And if you have been paying attention to what I have been saying these last few days, you know why I did it. As God with you, I want you to know by My actions that God wants you both holy and whole — to enjoy full shalom! Second, the religious leaders in this story can point you to another great need. Notice what the religious leaders said: Who can pronounce that a person’s sins are forgiven? Who but God alone? Now don’t miss the point, because some religious groups who claim to be My disciples miss it. My actions show that I AM God among you. I healed the man to show I have the power, the authority, the right to do what only God can do: forgive people of their sins, both the ones that involve only them and God and the ones that involve other people as well! No matter your problem, please recognize the most important issue in your life involves your relationship with the Father. I can bring you forgiveness no matter what you’ve done if you will only come to Me and be honest about the sin issues in your life. Don’t believe Me? I recommend you read what My beloved disciple wrote about forgiveness (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:1-2). Finally, and most importantly of all, recognize that I AM God. The Father and I are One. I came as God in human flesh, Immanuel — God with you! This conviction is the most basic and important belief of all. To understand God’s love, the meaning of My sacrifice, and the importance of your obedience, you must believe that I AM God, come in human flesh to save you — and not just you, but everyone else in the world who is willing to recognize Me for Who I AM and follow Me! As My apostle Thomas said when he saw Me raised from the dead, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 NLT). Verses to Live In the following story, there is a paralyzed man whose life was forever changed because of the faith and determination of his friends. If you have friends who are determined in their faith, give thanks to God. Affirm them. Lean on them. Just as was the case for this sick man, there will be days when your friends may have to have the faith to get you to Me when you don’t seem to have the power, courage, or willingness to come to Me. So value those friends. One day Jesus was teaching in a house, and the healing power of the Lord was with Him. Pharisees and religious scholars were sitting and listening, having come from villages all across the regions of Galilee and Judea and from the holy city of Jerusalem. Some men came to the house, carrying a paralyzed man on his bed pallet. They wanted to bring him in and present him to Jesus, but the house was so packed with people that they couldn’t get in. So they climbed up on the roof and pulled off some roof tiles. Then they lowered the man by ropes so he came to rest right in front of Jesus. In this way, their faith was visible to Jesus. Jesus (to the man on the pallet): My friend, all your sins are forgiven. The Pharisees and religious scholars were offended at this. They turned to one another and asked questions. Pharisees and Religious Scholars: Who does He think He is? Wasn’t that blasphemous? Who can pronounce that a person’s sins are forgiven? Who but God alone? Jesus (responding with His own question): Why are your hearts full of questions? Which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk”? Just so you’ll know that the Son of Man is fully authorized to forgive sins on earth (He turned to the paralyzed fellow lying on the pallet), I say, get up, take your mat, and go home. Then, right in front of their eyes, the man stood up, picked up his bed, and left to go home — full of praises for God! Everyone was stunned. They couldn’t help but feel awestruck, and they praised God too. People: We’ve seen extraordinary things today. (Luke 5:17-26) Response in Prayer O Jesus, You are Lord and Christ, God’s Son, Immanuel, God Who came to us in human flesh. You are my Lord and my God! Thank You, God, in the name of the
What Will You Do with My Grace?
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, In today’s events from My life on earth, you will meet a man who had great difficulties. But like so many who find themselves in very difficult situations, this man makes the situation worse by refusing to take responsibility for anything in his life. As you read, notice that I ask this man if he really wants to get well: Are you here in this place hoping to be healed? (John 5:6) He states the truth about his situation, and yes, it is a sad truth, but also notice that he never really answers My question. Instead, this man blames his circumstances. He never really says, “Oh yes, more than anything, I want to be healed!” When I heal the man, he gets in trouble with “the overly somber religious enforcement society” of his day for breaking one of their rules. Notice what the man does: he passes the buck and blames it on Me! (I think you will find it very helpful to compare his reaction to “the overly somber religious enforcement society” with the fellow you meet in John 9:1-41, whose actions are quite different after I healed his blindness and he was then questioned by the Pharisees!) Don’t miss two points! Point 1: You should have compassion for all people, but don’t be discouraged when some of those you help still hang on to their victim mindset. You can recognize this by their words and actions: “It’s not my fault!” “Don’t blame me; I can’t help it!” “My problems are all because nobody will help me!” “That person told me to do this, so don’t blame me; I was just doing what I was told!” As much as you want to help everyone, some folks will never assume responsibility for their circumstances or for getting better. Even in their greatest moments of joy, they refuse to celebrate and praise God — or thank you — for their blessings. Nevertheless, as My disciple, your love should still lead you to help people as I did. Point 2: Many folks don’t get what being My follower really means for them. They are caught up in the religious rules of everything. You, however, need to be guided by three calls in your life. They will keep you focused on the heart of My mission! They will also keep you from being part of “the overly somber religious enforcement society” of your day! What are those three calls? Love the Lord your God with all you are and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). Light the way to God with your good deeds done to others (Matthew 5:14-16). Lead people to follow Me (Matthew 28:18-20). Verses to Live Ask yourself two questions as you read the scripture today. First, if you had been healed after 38 years of bondage, would you have blamed your healer or praised God no matter what anyone else said? Second, as My follower, would you be one who helped get this guy into the pool when he had no one else to help him? … Jesus led His followers to Jerusalem where they would celebrate a Jewish feast together. In Jerusalem they came upon a pool by the sheep gate surrounded by five covered porches. In Hebrew this place is called Bethesda. Crowds of people lined the area, lying around the porches. All of these people were disabled in some way; some were blind, lame, paralyzed, or plagued by diseases, and they were waiting for the waters to move. From time to time, a heavenly messenger would come to stir the water in the pool. Whoever reached the water first and got in after it was agitated would be healed of his or her disease. In the crowd, Jesus noticed one particular man who had been living with his disability for 38 years. He knew this man had been waiting here a long time. Jesus (to the disabled man): Are you here in this place hoping to be healed? Disabled Man: Kind Sir, I wait, like all of these people, for the waters to stir; but I cannot walk. If I am to be healed in the waters, someone must carry me into the pool. Without a helping hand, someone else beats me to the water’s edge each time it is stirred. Jesus: Stand up, carry your mat, and walk. At the moment Jesus uttered these words, a healing energy coursed through the man and returned life to his limbs — he stood and walked for the first time in 38 years. But this was the Sabbath Day; and any work, including carrying a mat, was prohibited on this day. Jewish Leaders (to the man who had been healed): Must you be reminded that it is the Sabbath? You are not allowed to carry your mat today! Formerly Disabled Man: The man Who healed me gave me specific instructions to carry my mat and go. Jewish Leaders: Who is the man Who gave you these instructions? How can we identify Him? The man genuinely did not know Who it was that healed him. In the midst of the crowd and the excitement of his renewed health, Jesus had slipped away. Some time later, Jesus found him in the temple and again spoke to him. Jesus: Take a look at your body; it has been made whole and strong. So avoid a life of sin, or else a calamity greater than any disability may befall you. The man went immediately to tell the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the mysterious healer. So they began pursuing and attacking Jesus because He performed these miracles on the Sabbath. Jesus (to His attackers): My Father is at work. So I, too, am working. He was justifying the importance of His work on the Sabbath, claiming God as His Father in ways that suggested He was equal to God. These pious religious leaders sought an opportunity to kill Jesus, and these words fueled their
I Bring Hidden Things into the Light
Note from Jesus Dear Faithful Follower, Hide and seek is a great children’s game. However, it is a dangerous and deadly spiritual game. If you are My follower, don’t hide your loyalty and commitment to Me from others. When you have guests in your house, you don’t hide the lamp so they can’t find their way around your house in the dark. So if your friends are lost in spiritual darkness, why would you hide My spiritual light from them? Do you want them to stumble around in spiritual darkness? Remember, I see what you do in your life. I’m not there to snoop, spy, or try to catch you doing something wrong. I’m there to strengthen, encourage, and bless. And know this: where I go, I bring true light. Hidden things are exposed. So I’m asking you to let My light penetrate deeply into your hidden places and drive out your darkness (John 3:19-21). When you let My light into your life, it will be filled with more and more light. However, if you try to keep things hidden away in the dark corners of your spirit, little by little you will lose the light you have now (Matthew 6:23). And be sure of this: even if you drive My light from most of your heart, sooner or later, everything in your heart will be revealed (Matthew 10:26-33). Finally, remember I AM the One Who can help you find truth by shining My light in all places. As you try to look through the Bible for truth, don’t forget Me. I AM here to help you make sense of it all in a way that is a blessing to all! So just ask Me to use the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, to help you know what Scripture means and how it all points to Me. I AM the One Who brings light to dark places, the one Who exposes truth and error, the One Who gives light to those seeking light, and the One Who helps you know how to use the Scriptures to unlock the truth and find great treasures! Verses to Live I AM the light to illuminate dark places, the guarantee that everything hidden will be brought to the full light of truth. Jesus: You wouldn’t light a lamp and cover it with a clay pot. You’re not going to hide it under your bed. No, when you light it, you’re going to put it out in the open so your guests can feel welcome and see where they’re going. Hidden things will always come out into the open. Secret things will come to light and be exposed. I hope you’re still listening. And I hope you’re listening carefully. If you get what I’m saying, you’ll get more. If you miss My meaning, even the understanding you think you have will be taken from you. (Luke 8:16-18) Just like hidden things will ultimately be revealed, people will ultimately be seen for who they are and what they have done. Jesus: Or think of it this way: the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea, a net that caught a world of flickering fish. When the net was full, the fishermen hauled it to shore. They separated the good fish from the bad, placing the good fish in a bucket and throwing out the inedible fish. That is what the end of time will be like. The heavenly messengers will separate the good from the bad, the righteous from the wicked, the repentant from the prideful, the faithful from the hard-hearted. The bad, the wicked, the prideful, and the hard-hearted will be thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Do you understand? Disciples: Yes, we understand. (Matthew 13:47-51) My servant, the apostle Paul, said it very well: the holy Scriptures “enable you to be wise and lead to salvation through faith in Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). So not only will hidden things be revealed and not only will people’s works be revealed, but the truth of the Scriptures can also be revealed to you so that you can find many treasures if you approach them through faith in Me! Just as I said in this next verse, regardless of where you are in your walk of faith you should be on the lookout for new things as well as old familiar things as you study the Scriptures. Jesus: Every scribe and teacher of the law who has become a student of the ways of the kingdom is like the head of the household who brings some new things and some old things, both out of the storeroom. (Matthew 13:52) Response in Prayer Father, help the light of Jesus to shine through everything I do and say. Please open my eyes to see Jesus and hear the voice of the Spirit in every bit of Scripture that I hear, read, and memorize. I ask this in Jesus’ name. 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.
My Plan to Train and Teach!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Leadership and choosing leaders are very important in any group, but especially among My followers. Please notice two things of great importance in the verses below. They will help you have a lasting impact for Me in your world. First, I prayed all night before I chose those whom I would call to be My apostles — those who would be My special emissaries to minister and lead My movement when I was gone. I regularly withdrew to have special times of prayer with the Father to tune My heart to His mission. I also dedicated long stretches of prayer to important events in My life. Selecting My apostles was one of those watershed events. Their selection was so important that I prayed all night! My early church family dedicated themselves to worship, prayer, and fasting to choose their leaders (Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:23). So please, don’t let choosing leaders for your group, house church, missional community, organization, or congregation become a political event. Leadership is crucial to My mission in the world. Never choose leaders without prayer! Second, no leader, no matter how faithful or influential, can lead alone or forever. I chose twelve in whom I invested My life (Mark 3:13-19). I trained them to follow in My steps (Luke 6:40; Matthew 20:25-28). If any leader among My people is following in My footsteps, that leader will choose and train other leaders to assist in his or her work and to continue that work into future generations (2 Timothy 2:1-2). You can find this principle all throughout the New Testament. A prime example is that I — the Messiah, your Lord, the Son of God — chose apostles to assist in My ministry and to continue My work. Other examples of not leading alone are Barnabas working with Paul (Acts 11:22-26), Timothy with Paul (Acts 16:1-3), and John Mark with Barnabas (Acts 15:39-40). Leaders in your day most surely need to follow the examples of My early leaders! Verses to Live Leadership is vital for the future of My work in your day. I challenge you to invest in others. Share My truth and My way of life. Then, help them invest in others just as you have invested in them. This approach was the vision I left right before I returned to the Father (Matthew 28:18-20), this was the method I used to train and teach in My ministry, and this was the method My earliest followers used to train and teach. I call on you and the leaders of your day to do the same. Around this time, Jesus went outside the city to a nearby mountain, along with a large crowd of His disciples. He prayed through the night to God. The next morning, He chose 12 of them and gave each a new title of “emissary” [or “apostle”]. They included Simon (Jesus called him Peter) and Andrew (Simon’s brother), James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus) and Simon (known as the Zealot), Judas (son of James) and the other Judas (Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus). The whole crowd of disciples (including the 12 now designated as His emissaries) came down together, and they stood on a level area nearby. They were joined by an even greater crowd of people who had come from across the whole region — from all of Judea, from Jerusalem, from the coastal areas of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed by Jesus of their diseases. Those who were troubled by demonic spirits were liberated. Everyone wanted to touch Jesus because when they did, power emanated from Him and they were healed. (Luke 6:12-19) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, I confess that I often don’t feel like much of a leader. I am also frustrated with the lack of leadership I sometimes see among Your people and in Your church. But I know that You have given me an area of influence in the lives of others. So as I influence those I love and those who are my friends and associates, please help me see ways of involving others to do Your work in my world. In addition, I pray now for my spiritual leaders by name… Please bless them and bless us through their spiritual leadership. I pray that the Holy Spirit will stir the hearts of Your people and that we will be intentional about raising up new leaders for the future. I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, my Lord. 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.
One of the Hardest ‘Miracles’
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, What’s the hardest miracle to perform? I know many of you would love to see some great miracle of your selection to help you believe. Yet all around you every day, some of the most amazingly wondrous transformations happen by divine power at work in My followers. As My disciples show in the verses below, one of the hardest of the wondrous transformations is for the power of grace to lead a wounded heart to forgive. This very important reality is the focus of My teaching about prayer and miraculous results. One of the hardest “miracles” to believe possible is forgiveness. I taught about this repeatedly in My ministry on earth. This teaching is rooted in the two greatest commands — to love the Lord your God with all you are and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). You cannot be wrong with your brother or sister on earth and be right with your Father in heaven. It’s that simple to say and yet very hard for the wounded human heart to love as it should. This teaching is also based on another essential reality: you do not truly appreciate the forgiveness you have received if you do not pass along that same grace of forgiveness to others (Matthew 6:14; Matthew 18:23-35; Ephesians 4:32). Yes, this is a hard truth. That’s why your forgiveness of others may be one of the hardest “miracles” to perform. Feeding 5,000? Not hard for Me with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Raising the dead? I have done that. Healing the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, the leprous? I have done that repeatedly. However, changing a wounded heart that has been abused and mistreated is so much harder because that change depends on the submission of the person to My will in spite of whatever may have happened to him or her. Grace has to permeate down to a broken and dark place in a person’s soul and capture it with the truth of what I did to redeem it. For you to genuinely forgive those who come in repentance and ask for forgiveness is a hard wonder to perform, but not impossible! What I want you to realize is that if you can have “faith the size of a single, tiny mustard seed”, then that “little faith can accomplish the seemingly impossible” — including turning your wounded heart into a gracious heart like Mine! Watch what I do as I journey toward Jerusalem to take up the cross. Remember My words of forgiveness. Remember why I did what I did — not because I wanted to face suffering and heartbreak, but because those who sinned and rejected Me, both then and in your day, need My forgiveness and grace. The same spirit of forgiveness and grace must be true of you as you deal with those who hurt you and sin against you. They need your grace displayed to them to understand the power of My grace. So when you forgive, don’t act like you deserve a medal for doing something hard. Yes, it is hard, very hard, and sometimes it feels impossibly hard. If you call yourself My disciple, that means you have committed to the lifestyle of the cross. Sometimes that will seem as hard for you to face as it was for Me to face the rejection, mockery, agony, and humiliation of My cross. Forgiving others is not only a sign that you have faith to follow My example of forgiveness. It also means that you realize that you are My servant and “unworthy of extra consideration or thanks” since you were just doing your “duty”. I don’t say that to be harsh, but to help you realize how important forgiveness is in My family of grace! Verses to Live I want you to know, My dear disciple, that much of My teaching during My journey to Jerusalem and the cross is challenging and sometimes just very hard to accept at a human level. It doesn’t make sense. It seems upside down to the way your world works. So I ask you again to watch Me and what I do on the way to My cross and all that goes with My passion. Redeeming a lost world means living a radical discipleship. I wasn’t crucified because I was a nice sweet man. I was crucified because I was a loving, kind, gentle, truth-telling world-changer Who lived the character and compassion of God before a world opposed to His ways. I call you to follow Me in this world-changing lifestyle! Jesus (to His disciples): You can’t stop temptations to do wrong from coming. But how tragic it will be for the person who becomes the source of the temptation! It would be better if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. So each of you needs to be careful. If your brother sins against you, confront him about it, and if he has a change of mind and heart, then forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times in a single day, if he turns back to you each time and says he’s sorry and will change, you must forgive him. The Lord’s Emissaries: We don’t have enough faith for this! Help our faith to grow! Jesus (pointing to a nearby mulberry tree): It’s not like you need a huge amount of faith. If you just had faith the size of a single, tiny mustard seed, you could say to this huge tree, “Pull up your roots and replant yourself in the sea,” and it would fly through the sky and do what you said. So even a little faith can accomplish the seemingly impossible. Imagine this scenario. You have a servant — say he’s been out plowing a field or taking care of the sheep — and he comes in hot and sweaty from his
A Matter of Obedient Trust
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, I talked to you yesterday about managing your assets with spiritual wisdom — about investing your assets in the places where you saw Me invest My life and in the things the Father talked to you about in the Scriptures (the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings). So this is a good time to build on that principle and add a very important insight. In today’s parable in the verses below, you meet a foolish rich man who lived only for himself and neglected the people in need around him. This rich man invested his assets in what he wanted and in what made him feel important, secure, and powerful. What he did and how he did it went against the teaching of the Scriptures. The things that he did were clearly out of phase with the people and things in which I invested My life. So the rich man is everything opposite to what I taught you yesterday — he is the anti-hero. This situation is sad. Even sadder is his neglect of a brother in need at his doorstep. The Father dealt with this rich man as He said He would. There are no surprises for anyone who knows the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the rich man didn’t realize his foolishness until after his untimely death and because of the punishment he had brought on himself. So I want to remind you to use your blessings to care for your brothers and sisters in need; that’s investing in what matters in heaven! While that’s a very important point and fits perfectly with what I taught yesterday, that’s not the main thing that I want you to focus upon today. People want to blame their lack of passion, their lack of focus on godliness, and their lack of living with urgency for God’s kingdom on everything but themselves. They say things like: “I needed it made clearer.” “My church didn’t talk about these things.” “I really needed a couple of miracles to show that the teaching was true.” All that is a self-delusional rationalization. If folks don’t get the truth from Scripture, they are not going to believe it even if it is talked about more frequently or if the teaching is accompanied by a couple of miracles. Getting the message of Scripture is a matter of obedient trust in the truth of Scripture. If folks don’t believe the Scriptures, then it won’t matter to them even if someone comes back from the dead and shows them that this way of life is true. If you say you believe in God, then value what God values. Miracles won’t convince you if your heart chooses to be callous and greedy. Each of you must invest your life in things that align with the heart of God. His will, His character, and compassion must be the passion of each heart — your heart, My friend. So where is your heart? What is your focus? Are you listening to what Scripture teaches? Verses to Live You are saved by grace through faith — your New Testament makes this clear. Grace, however, not only saves you from the consequences of sin and death, grace also saves you for a life of character and compassion as My disciple. Read from My brother James (James 2:14-22) and also from the apostle Paul (Ephesians 2:1-10). Paul summarized it well when he said, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6 NIV). If you listen carefully to what I AM saying to you today and what I teach a little later, you will see that James and Paul were saying essentially the same thing I taught! Jesus (with another parable): There was this rich man who had everything — purple clothing of fine quality and high fashion, gourmet meals every day, and a large house. Just outside his front gate lay this poor homeless fellow named Lazarus. Lazarus was covered in ugly skin lesions. He was so hungry he wished he could scavenge scraps from the rich man’s trash. Dogs would come and lick the sores on his skin. The poor fellow died and was carried on the arms of the heavenly messengers to the embrace of Abraham. Then the rich fellow died and was buried and found himself in the place of the dead. In his torment, he looked up, and off in the distance he saw Abraham, with Lazarus in his embrace. He shouted out, “Father Abraham! Please show me mercy! Would you send that beggar Lazarus to dip his fingertip in water and cool my tongue? These flames are hot, and I’m in agony!” But Abraham said, “Son, you seem to be forgetting something: your life was full to overflowing with comforts and pleasures, and the life of Lazarus was just as full with suffering and pain. So now is his time of comfort, and now is your time of agony. Besides, a great canyon separates you and us. Nobody can cross over from our side to yours, or from your side to ours.” “Please, Father Abraham, I beg you,” the formerly rich man continued, “send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers there, and they’re on the same path I was on. If Lazarus warns them, they’ll choose another path and won’t end up here in torment.” But Abraham said, “Why send Lazarus? They already have the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets to instruct them. Let your brothers hear them.” “No, Father Abraham,” he said, “they’re already ignoring the law and the prophets. But if someone came back from the dead, then they’d listen for sure; then they’d change their way of life.” Abraham answered, “If they’re not listening to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone comes back from the dead.” (Luke 16:19-31) Response in Prayer Father, thank You for Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The change in the apostles from fear at
Managing Your Assets with Spiritual Wisdom
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Over the ages, people have freely talked with each other about almost everything, except how they spend their money. Once the talk about managing earthly, monetary, physical blessings starts, people tend to get defensive. I appreciate Doctor Luke’s account of My life and the way he emphasizes many practical and spiritual things about My ministry — food and feasts, prayer and praise, the work of the Holy Spirit, poor and rich people, and My teaching on the use of money. Below you find one of those sets of verses where Luke records My talking about money and how you should manage your assets for spiritual ends. To help you understand the principles below, I want to remind you of something I taught at another place and time: Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice — don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) Use the money and physical assets that the Father has entrusted to you to store up heavenly treasures. Why? Because the Father is going to know how you use your money and where you spend it, and your heart is always drawn to where your treasure is invested. So use your assets to bless those who cannot repay you, to empower My mission, to redeem the lost, to restore life, to renew opportunity for those who are left out and forgotten, and to give hope to the marginalized. Isn’t that what you saw Me invest My life doing? That is where I invested My energy and time; shouldn’t you do the same? When you read from the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings — what some of you call the Old Testament — what do you see about the heart of God and where He wants you to invest your assets? His focus and My focus align. Does your focus align with Ours? Verses to Live The problem in your life doesn’t have to be money if your heart is on the things that matter most to your Father in heaven. This principle is true whether your assets are small or large. However, if the way you use your assets gets out of phase with where I invested Myself, then watch out! You are trying to serve two masters, and the One you end up neglecting will be the only One that matters, your Father in heaven. Here’s a parable He [Jesus] told the disciples: Jesus: Once there was a rich and powerful man who had an asset manager. One day, the man received word that his asset manager was squandering his assets. The rich man brought in the asset manager and said, “You’ve been accused of wrongdoing. I want a full and accurate accounting of all your financial transactions because you are really close to being fired.” The manager said to himself, “Oh, no! Now what am I going to do? I’m going to lose my job here, and I’m too weak to dig ditches and too proud to beg. I have an idea. This plan will mean that I have a lot of hospitable friends when I get fired.” So the asset manager set up appointments with each person who owed his master money. He said to the first debtor, “How much do you owe my boss?” The debtor replied, “A hundred barrels of oil.” The manager said, “I’m discounting your bill by half. Just write 50 on this contract.” Then he said to the second debtor, “How much do you owe?” This fellow said, “A hundred bales of wheat.” The manager said, “I’m discounting your debt by 20 percent. Just write down 80 bales on this contract.” When the manager’s boss realized what he had done, he congratulated him for at least being clever. That’s how it is: those attuned to this evil age are more clever in dealing with their affairs than the enlightened are in dealing with their affairs! Learn some lessons from this crooked but clever asset manager. Realize that the purpose of money is to strengthen friendships, to provide opportunities for being generous and kind. Eventually money will be useless to you — but if you use it generously to serve others, you will be welcomed joyfully into your eternal destination. If you’re faithful in small-scale matters, you’ll be faithful with far bigger responsibilities. If you’re crooked in small responsibilities, you’ll be no different in bigger things. If you can’t even handle a small thing like money, who’s going to entrust you with spiritual riches that really matter? If you don’t manage well someone else’s assets that are entrusted to you, who’s going to give over to you important spiritual and personal relationships to manage? Imagine you’re a servant and you have two masters giving you orders. What are you going to do when they have conflicting demands? You can’t serve both, so you’ll either hate the first and love the second, or you’ll faithfully serve the first and despise the second. One master is God and the other is money. You can’t serve them both. The Pharisees overheard all this, and they started mocking Jesus because they really loved money. Jesus (to the Pharisees): You’ve made your choice. Your ambition is to look good in front of other people, not God. But God sees through to your hearts. He values things differently from you. The goals you and your peers are reaching for God detests. The law and the prophets had their role until the coming of John the Baptist. Since John’s arrival, the good news of the kingdom of God has been taught while people are clamoring
A Father with Two Lost Sons
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Today, we focus on the final story in Luke’s collection of three of My parables about finding lost things and lost sons. In today’s story in the verses below, you meet a father who had two lost sons. One son stayed at home and saw himself as working hard for many years for his father — literally, he says to his father, “Listen, all these years I’ve worked hard for you.” The other son told his father that he was as good as dead to him, so the son wanted the inheritance he was owed at his father’s death, immediately. Both sons were lost. The son who stayed at home and played the game to get what he felt was rightfully his was lost. The son who wanted his inheritance received it, and then left, was lost. Both sons received their proper share of the inheritance — don’t miss that point: “And so the father liquidated assets and divided them.” Here’s the sad part: neither son appreciated the father. Both sons were lost. Now remember from Luke’s first two verses in the chapter what the situation was that led Me to tell this story as well as the previous stories about the lost sheep and the lost coin: Jesus became increasingly popular among notorious sinners — tax collectors and other social outcasts. The Pharisees and religious scholars noticed this. Pharisees and Religious Scholars: This man welcomes immoral people and enjoys their company over a meal. (Luke 15:1-2) I wanted the “immoral people” to share My fellowship and come home to the heavenly Father by turning their lives away from sin and rebellion. I wanted the outwardly religious folks who thought they were honoring the heavenly Father with their religious games to turn from their self-righteousness and come home to their gracious and generous Father. Both were sinners. Both needed to come home. So that leaves Me with two final questions: Which of these two sons are you more like? What do you need to do right now to turn your life completely over to Me and come home to the Father? Verses to Live Please hear the words that follow as My invitation to come home to the Father! Jesus (with another parable): Once there was this man who had two sons. One day the younger son came to his father and said, “Father, eventually I’m going to inherit my share of your estate. Rather than waiting until you die, I want you to give me my share now.” And so the father liquidated assets and divided them. A few days passed and this younger son gathered all his wealth and set off on a journey to a distant land. Once there he wasted everything he owned on wild living. He was broke, a terrible famine struck that land, and he felt desperately hungry and in need. He got a job with one of the locals, who sent him into the fields to feed the pigs. The young man felt so miserably hungry that he wished he could eat the slop the pigs were eating. Nobody gave him anything. So he had this moment of self-reflection: “What am I doing here? Back home, my father’s hired servants have plenty of food. Why am I here starving to death? I’ll get up and return to my father, and I’ll say, ‘Father, I have done wrong—wrong against God and against you. I have forfeited any right to be treated like your son, but I’m wondering if you’d treat me as one of your hired servants.’” So he got up and returned to his father. The father looked off in the distance and saw the young man returning. He felt compassion for his son and ran out to him, enfolded him in an embrace, and kissed him. The son said, “Father, I have done a terrible wrong in God’s sight and in your sight too. I have forfeited any right to be treated as your son.” But the father turned to his servants and said, “Quick! Bring the best robe we have and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Go get the fattest calf and butcher it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate because my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and has been found.” So they had this huge party. Now the man’s older son was still out in the fields working. He came home at the end of the day and heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. The servant said, “Your brother has returned, and your father has butchered the fattest calf to celebrate his safe return.” The older brother got really angry and refused to come inside, so his father came out and pleaded with him to join the celebration. But he argued back, “Listen, all these years I’ve worked hard for you. I’ve never disobeyed one of your orders. But how many times have you even given me a little goat to roast for a party with my friends? Not once! This is not fair! So this son of yours comes, this wasteful delinquent who has spent your hard-earned wealth on loose women, and what do you do? You butcher the fattest calf from our herd!” The father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours. Isn’t it right to join in the celebration and be happy? This is your brother we’re talking about. He was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found again!” (Luke 15:11-32) Response in Prayer O Father, thank You for Jesus’ story of two lost sons. It grabs my heart. As You know, there are some days I am the younger and rebellious son. Please forgive me. I’m coming back home to You today. Some days I am the older brother, full of self-righteousness and wishing
The Lost Coin
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, How precious is a child? What is the value of a human life? What is one person worth? If you want to know the true answer to those questions, watch Me in the coming few weeks as you read My story. Notice what I’m willing to do — be humiliated and hung on a cross when I had the power to prevent it. Notice the price I’m willing to pay — I give up My will to honor the will of the Father and pay the price for the sin of all humankind for all of time. Notice what I’m willing to bear — being betrayed by one of My own, having one of My great potential leaders deny he even knew Me at all and being abandoned by My apostles, so I had to go to the cross alone. So don’t miss My key point found in all three of My stories Luke brings together for you (Luke 15:1-32), especially the one I want you to focus on today: the story of the lost coin. Here’s My key point for My disciples who are willing to join Me in searching for those who are lost: There is joy in the presence of all God’s messengers over even one sinner who changes his way of life. Verses to Live I don’t need to spend many words today to help you see My key point. Don’t miss learning it, being moved by it, and putting it into practice. Notice especially a few words that powerfully emphasize this key point of each of My stories: Search! Diligently! Found! Celebrate! Joy! All! Even one! Jesus (with another parable): Or imagine a woman who has 10 silver coins. She loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and search diligently until that coin is found? And when she finds it, doesn’t she invite her friends and neighbors and say, “Celebrate with me! I’ve found that silver coin that I lost”? Can’t you understand? There is joy in the presence of all God’s messengers over even one sinner who changes his way of life. (Luke 15:8-10) Response in Prayer O Father, thank You for the joy of seeing (please use specific names here) being brought to Christ and being saved. I ask that You use me to be an encouragement and help to others (specifically mention them by name), so that they will come to Jesus and we can share in the celebration and joy of heaven together. 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.