Some of My Very Best Gifts
Note from Jesus My Beloved, Far too often in your world, children and their fathers have great difficulty communicating. Sometimes this situation is because of non-communicative fathers. Other times, however, children go through periods where they don’t want to talk with their fathers because they feel their fathers cannot understand their problems or the world in which they live. On the other hand, some children are just rebellious and don’t want their father interfering in their lives. My Abba Father, your Abba in heaven, doesn’t want these obstacles to come between you and Him. Your heavenly Father wants you to know how to communicate with Him. He wants you to seek Him even when you don’t know what to say or when you don’t know how to say what’s on your heart. Today, I want to give three assurances that when you speak to the Father, He hears you: Remember that He is your loving Abba Father — you come to him as His beloved child (Romans 8:15-16). You can know that even simple words will be heard (Luke 11:1-13). The Holy Spirit intercedes for you (Romans 8:26-27). Providing you with words to speak to God and assuring you that God will hear you are some of the greatest gifts I can give you. Please be blessed and take great advantage of being able to speak with the Creator of the universe as your Father. Know that whenever and wherever you choose to draw near to speak to Him, he will listen to you! Verses to Live My first disciples wanted to learn how to pray. They had seen Me pray many times. They knew I would sometimes withdraw from everything and spend time with the Father. My disciples knew that one of the great blessings a teacher gave his disciples was to teach them to pray. So, their request was a good one. I hope you long for Me to guide you in how to pray. Please notice all the different times I prayed in My life and ministry. Pay attention to how I prayed, where I prayed, and what I prayed. Today, My beloved disciple, I want you to know that prayer is not about saying a lot of different or magical or profound words that sound religious. You are My Father’s child, too. Your prayers don’t need to impress Him. He longs to hear from you. So, please, don’t focus on your words, but on your relationship with the Father. Be honest and simple in what you pray. Recognize that only a few things are truly essential in life and in your Christian service and focus on them. Another time Jesus was praying, and when He finished, one of His disciples approached Him. Disciple: Teacher, would You teach us Your way of prayer? John taught his disciples his way of prayer, and we’re hoping You’ll do the same. Jesus: Here’s how to pray: Father in heaven. May Your kingdom come. Give us the food we need for tomorrow, And forgive us for our wrongs, for we forgive those who wrong us. And lead us away from temptation. Imagine that one of your friends comes over at midnight. He bangs on the door and shouts, “Friend, will you lend me three loaves of bread? A friend of mine just showed up unexpectedly from a journey, and I don’t have anything to feed him.” Would you shout out from your bed, “I’m already in bed, and so are the kids. I already locked the door. I can’t be bothered”? You know this as well as I do: even if you didn’t care that this fellow was your friend, if he keeps knocking long enough, you’ll get up and give him whatever he needs simply because of his brash persistence! So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking. Some of you are fathers, so ask yourselves this: if your son comes up to you and asks for a fish for dinner, will you give him a snake instead? If your boy wants an egg to eat, will you give him a scorpion? Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask! (Luke 11:1-13) And, My beloved disciple, even when you don’t get your words exactly correct, or when you can’t find the right words to express your heart, remember that I have given you the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is your spiritual DNA that connects you to God as your Abba Father. You are His beloved child. The Spirit will take your emotions, your confusion, and your concerns to the Father. When you don’t have words, point your heart to heaven and ask the Spirit to take your groanings, including those that are too deep for words, and present them acceptably to the Father. He is your Abba. You are His child. The Spirit is your assurance. Offer the Father your heart, your emotions, and your fears, and the Holy Spirit will make them all known to our Father! You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy. Through that prayer, God’s Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children. … A similar thing happens when we pray. We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for
Take Me Into Your Heart
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, Don’t miss the heartbreak of the events described in the Scripture below. Despite all I had said and had done, people turned away from Me. As long as I would do miracles for them, they were quite happy to hang around with Me. But when I would not do their wish list miracles-on-demand and when I told them the truth about My divinity, they got testy with Me and My followers. In fact, many quit following Me. So here’s the challenge. You need to take Me — My truth, My power, and My words — into your heart. Some of the things I ask of you will be hard — some of them hard to do and some of them hard to understand. But here’s the point: to the best of your ability and empowered by the Holy Spirit within you, do what I ask, believe what I say, and live what I teach. My words are life-giving and life-preserving. The Holy Spirit is at work giving you guidance, using you in My service, and conforming you to My words. There will be times when you are confused. Some of that confusion will be because life is hard. Sometimes your confusion will come from your own selfishness and rebelliousness. Some of your confusion will be there because some of what I say can be hard to understand or you are not ready for it. But despite all the shortcomings you can find in Peter and My other apostles, please notice Peter’s words — spoken for all of the apostles. I asked if they would walk away from Me, too, and this is what Peter said: “Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God.” Verses to Live Notice all the back-and-forth below in John’s account. There is a lot of talk about faith. Bottom line: just TALK about faith really doesn’t mean much. What matters is what Peter and the apostles DO: they (except for Judas) risk all to follow Me because of their choice to believe in Me even when many are turning away from Me: Some of the Jews began to grumble quietly against Him [Jesus] because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Crowd: Isn’t Jesus the son of Joseph? We know His parents! We know where He came from, so how can He claim to have “come down from heaven”? Jesus: Stop grumbling under your breaths. If the Father Who sent Me does not draw you, then there’s no way you can come to Me. But I will resurrect everyone who does come on the last day. Among the prophets, it’s written, “Everyone will be taught of God.” So everyone who has heard and learned from the Father finds Me. No one has seen the Father, except the One sent from God. He has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: the one who accepts these things has eternal life. I am the bread that gives life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died as you know. But there is another bread that comes from heaven; if you eat this bread, you will not die. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh. The low whispers of some of Jesus’ detractors turned into an out-and-out debate. Crowd: What is He talking about? How is He able to give us His flesh to eat? Jesus: I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. The Father of life Who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end. He spoke these words in the synagogue as part of His teaching mission in Capernaum. Many disciples heard what He said, and they had questions of their own. Disciples: How are we supposed to understand all of this? It is a hard teaching. Jesus was aware that even His disciples were murmuring about this. Jesus: Has My teaching offended you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to return to where He came from? The Spirit brings life. The flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have been teaching you are spirit and life, but some of you do not believe. From the first day Jesus began to call disciples, He knew those who did not have genuine faith. He knew, too, who would betray Him. Jesus: This is why I have been telling you that no one comes to Me without the Father’s blessing and guidance. After hearing these teachings, many of His disciples walked away and no longer followed Jesus. Jesus (to the twelve): Do you want to walk away too? Simon Peter: Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God. Jesus: I chose each one of you, the twelve, Myself. But one of you is a devil. This cryptic comment referred to Judas, the son of Simon
More Than!
Note from Jesus Dear Believer, I know that the religious world has its share of overstatement, hyperbole, exaggeration, and sometimes even fraud. So beware of the person who is trying to get you to buy something to get some favor from Me. Don’t trust anyone who teaches you to bargain with God. The mindset of “If I do this, then God will do that for me!” is really a form of idolatry. It’s based on having a god you can manipulate and control for your own desires. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — can’t be fit into a box or forced to jump through a hoop you’ve made so that you can (try to) control Us and get Us to do what you want! On the other hand, as the one true and living God — Father, Son, and Spirit — We are the God of grace. We can and we will do more than you can ask or imagine through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you (Ephesians 3:14-21). I am talking about the power of the kingdom — Our power within the hearts and in the people with whom We reign as King. The two little short stories below about a mustard seed and a little bit of yeast are great examples to remind you that I AM at work bringing the kingdom of God to you in mysterious and wonderful ways. Here’s your part: Submit to My lordship. Ask Me to reign over your heart as King. Now take that kingdom focus — My holy reign over your heart — into every aspect of your life. I taught you to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NIV). When you pray this prayer, you are asking for My holy reign over your heart! Your commitment to being a person who lives for Me, a person who seeks to bring My kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven,” is like planting a tiny seed in the ground or putting a little yeast in a batch of dough. You don’t make the seed grow. You don’t make the yeast spread and the dough rise. But there is a mysterious and wonderful power unleashed when that seed is planted and that yeast is mixed into the dough. My kingdom power and grace at work within you and through you are like that seed and that yeast. The seed sprouts and grows. The yeast spreads, penetrates, and permeates, and the dough rises. Before long, the impact of your heartfelt commitment to let My “will be done” and to let My “kingdom come” in your life and through your influence begins to change you and the world around you in ways you could never even ask or imagine! Verses to Live I love powerful imagery from everyday life. If I held a mustard seed between My thumb and My forefinger, no one in the crowd could see it because it is so small. The same is true about a little yeast. But wow! Look at how much they grow, expand, and bless. Such power and grace can flow through you to those around you because of My kingdom power at work in you! Jesus … : Do you want to understand the kingdom of God? Do you want Me to tell you what it’s like? It’s like a single mustard seed that someone took and planted in his garden. That tiny seed grew and became a tree so large that the birds could fly in and make their nests in its branches. Do you want Me to tell you what the kingdom of God is like? It’s like some yeast which a woman hid within a huge quantity of flour; soon the whole batch of dough was rising. (Luke 13:18-21) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, I want Your name to be reverenced and held as holy and precious. I long for Your kingdom to come fully in my life and through my influence on others. I want the things dear to Your heart to be honored in my life. I want to be fully conformed to the character and compassion of Jesus as I trust in You for everything important, and not so important, in my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, 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.
Get This Please!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Don’t miss this truth: “The Son of Man didn’t come to ruin the lives of people, but He came to liberate them.” No matter what happens to Me on the way to the cross, I won’t use My power for Myself or My preservation even though I have the power to defend Myself and defeat every enemy I have to face. I came to liberate people. I came to liberate you! I came to liberate you from your fear about the future and your fear about your work and worship being wasted. I came to liberate you from the human principle of retaliation and the mistaken notion that violence in return for violence can bring peace. I came to liberate you from the stranglehold of demonic powers and the fear of death. I came to liberate you from having to prove you are significant, worthy, and acceptable to God. I came to liberate you from the mistaken notion that everyone will accept Me. Don’t grow angry with those who reject Me and don’t retaliate against those who push Me away. There are many others who need Me and My grace; move on from those who reject Me and My message and reach those who are seeking and searching. Once again, I remind you: “The Son of Man didn’t come to ruin the lives of people, but He came to liberate them.” Verses to Live My disciples did some dumb things out of fear and confusion. Today you see James and John wanting to do something stupid and insensitive out of confusion and fear; they wanted to destroy some people who didn’t welcome Me. Notice how I point them to the positive aspect of My mission rather than letting them become focused on their anger at those who rejected Me. My followers need to hear the same message in your day! The time approached for Him [Jesus] to be taken back up to the Father; so strong with resolve, Jesus made Jerusalem His destination. He sent some people ahead of Him into the territory of the Samaritans, a minority group at odds with the Jewish majority. He wanted His messengers to find a place for them to stay in a village along the road to Jerusalem. But because the Samaritans realized Jesus was going to Jerusalem, they refused to welcome them. James and John (outraged): Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these people who have rejected You? Jesus (turning toward them and shaking His head): You just don’t get it. The Son of Man didn’t come to ruin the lives of people, but He came to liberate them. He led them on toward another village. (Luke 9:51-56) Response in Prayer Almighty God, help me remain focused on why Jesus came and why You sent Him into our world. In everything I do, including my efforts to reach and teach the lost, I want to reflect the purpose, character, and compassion of Jesus, in Whose name I offer this prayer. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, 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.
The Blindness of Fear
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Have you ever been blinded by fear? Have your decisions ever been erratic or inappropriate because you were acting out of terror and confusion? Have you ever done something really stupid because you were trying to deny oncoming reality and wanted to do anything possible to avoid finding out what might happen? Don’t be too hard on My disciples in the events you read about below. They really looked like insensitive clods in several of the next events in My life because they were confused and fearful. They had risked everything to follow Me. They had seen Me do amazing miracles — feed thousands, still storms, raise the dead, heal the sick, and cast out demons. So they were having a hard time processing My repeated warnings of My impending crucifixion. As Luke describes it below, “they felt too afraid to ask” Me what I was describing because they didn’t want to believe there could be a catastrophe in our future together. Let those words settle into your heart — “they felt too afraid to ask”! Most people reach this place of fear at some point in their lives. They need to know, they need to understand what is about to happen, they need to realize what is ahead, but… they feel too afraid to ask anyone, including Me, about what lies ahead. So they end up in arguments over “stupid and vain” questions. In the face of fear, they need to know they belong to Me and are important to Me. So please know the following truths: First, you don’t need to have all the answers to people’s problems, but I do want you to serve those who are vulnerable. Second, don’t discount the good things others do in My name just because you don’t recognize them as part of your group. If they are doing good in My name, then I can use their efforts for the good of the kingdom. Third, beloved disciple, don’t be too hard on yourself when fear grips you and blinds you about your future. When your fear leads you to do or say dumb, insensitive, or inappropriate things, learn from and don’t repeat your mistakes but don’t beat yourself up. Remember, there will never be a place that you travel in your life that I will not go with you and ultimately bring you safely home to the Father. Verses to Live Be encouraging and tender with those who do dumb things because they are afraid or in denial or find themselves confused about the future. Watch how I prepare My disciples as I minister to them on My way to the crucifixion and resurrection. While I do get frustrated with them at times, notice how I warn them of the truth about what is coming and prepare them for what lies ahead. Notice that at other times I leave them promises about the future and assurances that I will not abandon them, but send the Spirit to them. Especially notice how I leave seeds of truth for them to discover as the events unfold — seeds of truth that give them strength for their important ministry ahead. The following verses are just the first stage in My journey to Jerusalem where rejection and the cross await me. So watch how I treat those closest to Me as they journey into the heart of their most unimaginable fears. Jesus: Listen. Listen hard. Let these words get down deep: the Son of Man is going to be turned over to the authorities and arrested. They [the disciples] had no idea what He meant by this; they heard the words but missed the meaning, and they felt too afraid to ask Him to explain further. Later the close followers of Jesus began to argue over the stupid and vain question, “Which one of us is the greatest disciple?” Jesus saw what was going on — not just the argument, but the deeper heart issues — so He found a child and had the child stand beside Him. Jesus: See this little one? Whoever welcomes a little child in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One Who sent Me. The smallest one among you is therefore the greatest. John: Master, we found this fellow casting out demons. He said he was doing it in Your name, but he’s not one of our group. So we told him to stop. Jesus: What? No! Don’t think like that! Whoever is not working against you is working with you. (Luke 9:44-50) Response in Prayer Dear Father, sometimes fear about things I cannot control makes me do dumb things. Sometimes, dear Father, fear about the future for those I love makes my heart waver and my faith weak. Please, dear God, hear my prayers. Show me Your presence. Give me strength to face each tomorrow. In my confusion and frustration, I need to experience Your nearness, or I cannot handle what is ahead or minister to others in a way that blesses them and honors You. In Jesus’ name, I offer up my heart and my deepest fears to You. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, 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.
Down from the Mountain
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, I know that you love mountain-top experiences. Unfortunately, sooner or later you have to come down from the mountain and face the realities of life on earth. As you read the verses below from Luke, the physician, remember that I had to face very similar realities when I came down from My mountain-top experience with the Father and with My disciples (Luke 9:28-36). When I came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, I faced several very frustrating realities: The crowds that swarmed around Me everywhere I went were waiting for Me at the bottom of the mountain. I loved the people, but the crowds were not really interested in Who I AM or in coming to faith. They were mostly interested in what they could get from Me. Dealing with the crowds in My ministry was hard on Me. There was a man who had a very difficult situation with his son. I hate for Satan to hold anyone in his evil grip or torment any family. This situation needed a remedy, but the man and his son had not received one. My disciples, who had been given authoritative power and had recently been personally involved in several miraculous experiences, found themselves “incapable” of helping the man and his son. Their lack of faith was frustrating and disappointing to Me. However, I want you to notice what I did in this situation: Rather than getting knocked off track by the crowds and the lack of faithful and decisive action by My disciples, I did what needed to be done for this loving father and his demon-afflicted son. I made the boy whole and freed him from the demonic spirit that troubled him. God was praised by the crowd and a family was restored — full shalom was given in the face of demonic attack! Verses to Live So here are several things I hope that you will take away from Luke’s telling of this event in My life. First, because of deep disappointment with people I knew well and loved, I experienced great frustration in being brought back down to earth after having mountain-top experiences. Please remember you are not alone when you face these kinds of frustrations. I know your hurt, and I will never leave you or forsake you. Second, good and godly people don’t always do the right thing or even realize the power available to them. It is frustrating, and they sometimes need to be sternly reminded to expect more. But don’t give up on them. Third, remember the point in ministering to people: Don’t minister to get glory for yourself, but minister to bless those who hurt, to bring praise to the Father, and to bless the Father’s children with joy. Before the events in the accompanying scripture, Peter, James, and John had just witnessed My transfiguration — they experienced Me in My glory with Moses and Elijah. The Father told them to listen to Me! After this glorious experience, this glimpse of kingdom power, they were soon brought back to earth by what awaited them. They came down the mountain, and the next day yet another huge crowd gathered around Jesus. There was a man in the crowd who shouted out. Man in Crowd: Teacher! Please come and look at my son here, my only child. From time to time, a demonic spirit seizes him. It makes him scream and go into convulsions. He foams at the mouth. It nearly destroys him and only leaves after causing him great distress. While You were up on the mountain, I begged Your disciples to liberate him from this spirit, but they were incapable of helping us. Jesus: O generation faithless, twisted, and crooked, how long can I be with you? How much can I bear? Bring your boy here. The boy had taken a few steps toward Jesus when suddenly the demon seemed to rip into the boy, throwing him into convulsions. Jesus spoke sternly to the demonic spirit, and the boy was healed. Jesus presented the boy to his father. The crowd began cheering and discussing this amazing healing and the power of God…. (Luke 9:37-43) Response in Prayer O Father in heaven, I confess that I get frustrated with Your people who can’t seem to get it. I am even more frustrated with myself because I often don’t trust that You can use me to do Your great work of blessing others. So today, dear Father, I ask for a holy balance of patience and passion. I pray for personal faith to trust that You, O Father, are the great “Enabler” — that You can make my insufficiencies into effective capabilities! I pray for patience with the spiritual development of others and myself, yet ask for an urgent passion to believe that Jesus can do great things through our efforts to bless others and bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, 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.
‘Listen to Him!’
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, To whom are you listening? Let Me put that in plainer language, but poorer English: Who are you listening to most in your life? The one you choose to hear and what you believe from what you hear impacts your life choices. You can listen to many voices. You can listen to your “inner me” voice to tell yourself what you think of yourself. You can listen to the voice of your past hurts, failures, disappointments, and disasters. You can choose to listen to the voice of an enemy, critic, coach, teacher, or professor. You can choose to believe the words of your favorite songwriter, favorite movie star, or favorite sports hero. You can live in the shadow of the words of a family member, boss, friend, or even an enemy. The choices seem endless. So I’m going to ask My question to you again: To whom are you listening most in your life? Peter, James, and John — My very closest disciples — were with Me during an amazing and bewildering experience. In fact, something happened to them in this experience that they believed at the time was the greatest thing they had ever witnessed: they saw Moses and Elijah. For every faithful Jew up until that time, Moses was the greatest leader of God’s people. He was the one through whom they received the Torah. For every believing Israelite up until this time, Elijah was the greatest prophet of all the prophets. He spoke the very words of God with courage, accompanied by miraculous power when necessary. Here I was with these two heroes. That meant I was something truly special, and they were My friends. Peter couldn’t imagine anything better than building a shrine to each of us. At this moment, Peter suddenly realized that his friend Jesus was as great as Moses and Elijah. Poor Peter, he just didn’t know what he was saying and what he would learn through his life of following Me! The Father, however, wanted them all to know the truth: Someone far greater than Moses and Elijah had come and was among them. That greater One is Me — Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God! The Father wanted My disciples to know that I wasn’t just another good religious teacher with great things to say. The Father wanted them to realize that I AM the ONE to Whom they must listen above all others, that I AM greater than the greatest of all other religious heroes they could imagine! The Father said: This is My Son! This is the One I have chosen! Listen to Him! So I’m going to ask My question to you again: To whom are you listening most in your life? Verses to Live The introduction to this story about My time with Peter, James, and John sounds eerily like a story on the night of My arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-53): I am praying. My closest disciples are sleeping. They can’t grasp any threat of My being killed in relation to My identity. They are confused by what happens. Their loyalty to Me is challenged. And, they see My glory, but revealed in shockingly different ways. Each of the two events — My transfiguration described in the verses below and My passion — demands that they look to Me and listen to Me. In the events in the following account, the Father demands that the disciples who were with Me, and you dear friend, listen to Me as your truth. The later event, the passion (betrayal, trials, crucifixion, and resurrection), demands that you listen to Me out of love for what I did for you. So I ask you one last time: To whom are you listening most in your life? … Jesus went away to pray. This time He took along only Peter, John, and James. They climbed a mountainside and came to a place of solitude. Jesus began to pray and the disciples tried to stay awake, but their eyes grew heavier and heavier and finally they all fell asleep. When they awakened, they looked over at Jesus and saw something inexplicable happening. Jesus was changing before their eyes, beginning with His face. It seemed to glow. The glow spread, and even His clothing took on a blinding whiteness. Then, two figures appeared in the glorious radiance emanating from Jesus. The three disciples somehow knew that these figures were Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John overheard the conversation that took place among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah — a conversation that centered on Jesus’ “departure” and how He would accomplish this departure from the capital city, Jerusalem. The glow began to fade, and it was clear that Moses and Elijah were about to disappear. Peter (to Jesus): Please, Master, it is good for us to be here and see this. Can we make three structures — one to honor You, one to honor Moses, and one to honor Elijah, to try to capture what’s happening here? Peter had no idea what he was saying. While he spoke a cloud descended, and they were enveloped in it, and fear fell on them. Then a voice came out of everywhere and nowhere at once. Voice from Heaven: This is My Son! This is the One I have chosen! Listen to Him! Then the voice was silent, the cloud disappeared, and Moses and Elijah were gone. Peter, James, and John were left speechless, stunned, staring at Jesus Who now stood before them alone. For a long time, they did not say a word about this whole experience. (Luke 9:28-36) Response in Prayer O Father, help me keep my heart, mind, and ears focused on Jesus. I want to hear His voice, obey His words, and follow His example. Dear Father, like Jesus, I want to fulfill Your will for my life, so I choose to listen to Jesus as my Lord — to let His words and
Love is Always Demonstrated
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I made people nervous during My ministry by including women. I served them, ministered to them, and included them in My ministry while others treated them as less than worthy — as you will see in the verses below. I was willing to talk to them in public (John 4:27) when tradition considered such a thing wrong for a rabbi to do. I also let Mary sit at My feet in the position of a rabbi-in-training with Me as her teacher (Luke 10:38-42). I readily accepted into My fellowship women who had bad reputations, but who turned their lives around because of My grace, My teaching, and My love — turning a life around because of Me is one of the major truths in today’s verses. In the two episodes below that Luke records from My life, you will see several women who were important in My ministry. We could talk about why they were important and the roles they played and the way I turned around their lives, but I want to point you to a key truth. Love always finds a way to demonstrate itself. Genuine love is more than feelings, thoughts, or a passing fancy. Love shows itself! Love demonstrates its authenticity. If love is real, love shows itself by its actions! Verses to Live Notice how the formerly sinful woman from the city demonstrated her faith and her very tender love for Me. Then you will also notice a group of women who helped support Me as part of their love for what I had done for them. Remember, love demonstrates its authenticity, just as these women did! Once a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to be a guest for a meal. Picture this: Just as Jesus enters the man’s home and takes His place at the table, a woman from the city — notorious as a woman of ill repute — follows Him in. She has heard that Jesus will be at the Pharisee’s home, so she comes in and approaches Him, carrying an alabaster flask of perfumed oil. Then she begins to cry, she kneels down so her tears fall on Jesus’ feet, and she starts wiping His feet with her own hair. Then she actually kisses His feet, and she pours the perfumed oil on them. Simon (thinking): Now I know this guy is a fraud. If He were a real prophet, He would have known this woman is a sinner and He would never let her get near Him, much less touch Him… or kiss Him! Jesus (knowing what the Pharisee is thinking): Simon, I want to tell you a story. Simon: Tell me, Teacher. Jesus: Two men owed a certain lender a lot of money. One owed 100 weeks’ wages, and the other owed 10 weeks’ wages. Both men defaulted on their loans, but the lender forgave them both. Here’s a question for you: which man will love the lender more? Simon: Well, I guess it would be the one who was forgiven more. Jesus: Good answer. Now Jesus turns around so He’s facing the woman, although He’s still speaking to Simon. Jesus: Do you see this woman here? It’s kind of funny. I entered your home, and you didn’t provide a basin of water so I could wash the road dust from My feet. You didn’t give Me a customary kiss of greeting and welcome. You didn’t offer Me the common courtesy of providing oil to brighten My face. But this woman has wet My feet with her own tears and washed them with her own hair. She hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. And she has applied perfumed oil to My feet. This woman has been forgiven much, and she is showing much love. But the person who has shown little love shows how little forgiveness he has received. Jesus (to the woman): Your sins are forgiven. Simon and Friends (muttering among themselves): Who does this guy think He is? He has the audacity to claim the authority to forgive sins? Jesus (to the woman): Your faith has liberated you. Go in peace. Soon after this incident, Jesus preached from city to city, village to village, carrying the good news of the kingdom of God. He was accompanied by a group called “the twelve,” and also by a larger group including some women who had been rescued from evil spirits and healed of diseases. There was Mary, called Magdalene, who had been released from seven demons. There were others like Susanna and Joanna, who was married to Chuza, a steward of King Herod. And there were many others too. These women played an important role in Jesus’ ministry, using their wealth to provide for Him and His other companions. (Luke 7:36-50; Luke 8:1-3) Response in Prayer Loving Father, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart and the actions in my life demonstrate my love for Jesus and what He has done, is doing, and will do to bless my life and bring me home to You. It is in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, 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.
When You Think You Know Better
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Frustrated! Yes, I was frustrated at this precious man in today’s verses who disobeyed My direct command not to tell anyone except the priests that he had been healed of leprosy. I understand why he did it. Most mortals would have difficulty not telling everyone they had been healed. Most people would find it very hard to do what the law required first. But showing the priests that you were healed was what the Torah required. The priests were already starting to think I was trying to upstage them. So I had very good reasons to instruct the man not to tell anyone else after showing himself to the priest. Besides, you have seen in previous days’ readings how the people wanted a miracle-worker more than they wanted a Lord Who called them to change their lives so they could live for the kingdom of God. Frustrated! Not only was I frustrated, but the Father’s plans for Me were temporarily frustrated. So I want to remind you of something essential: I want you to obey Me even when you think you know better what to do! However, there is also another important truth I want you to learn from My interaction with this man who had leprosy: My miracles were not for My benefit. Recall that I refused to use my miraculous power for My benefit and My reputation when the devil tempted Me in the wilderness. Notice carefully how I healed this man with leprosy: I touched him — sharing his uncleanness and ostracism — then I healed him with a direct command. I shared a touch of grace before I spoke his healing. Why is it so important to Me for you to see this truth? Simple. This event tells you a major reason why I came. I am One with the Father. My words have power — creative and healing power. Just as the Father spoke the universe into existence, when I speak, My words have power. Demons are cast out, people are healed of their diseases, and you should obey. I speak the very words of God! I have the authority to ask you to obey Me because of Who I AM. But if you listen to My words and watch My actions, I demonstrate how much God loves you. So I ask you to obey — not just because of My authority, but also because you recognize My great love for you and My desire to make you whole! Verses to Live I am One with the Father. My actions show the Father’s heart. God is not a god far off, but a Savior Who has come near to you in Me, Jesus of Nazareth. What I do shows the Father’s love for you. In this story, you see God touch a man who would not be touched by another mortal because of his illness. Fear of contracting the disease, societal pressures, and the laws of the Torah to protect the people of Israel prevented human touch with someone who had leprosy. So with the stretch of My arm and the touch of My hand, I demonstrated My love. I AM willing to bear your uncleanness and ostracism so you can be made whole. Another time in a city nearby, a man covered with skin lesions [leprosy] comes along. As soon as he sees Jesus, he prostrates himself. Leper: Lord, if You wish to, You can heal me of my disease. Jesus reaches out His hand and touches the man, something no one would normally do for fear of being infected or of becoming ritually unclean. Jesus: I want to heal you. Be cleansed! Immediately the man is cured. Jesus tells him firmly not to tell anyone about this. Jesus: Go, show yourself to the priest, and do what Moses commanded by making an appropriate offering to celebrate your cleansing. This will prove to everyone what has happened. Even though Jesus said not to talk about what happened, soon every conversation was consumed by these events. The crowds swelled even larger as people went to hear Jesus preach and to be healed of their many afflictions. Jesus repeatedly left the crowds, though, stealing away into the wilderness to pray. (Luke 5:12-16) Response in Prayer Father God, forgive me. I confess that there are times when I see Your commands, Your call to certain behavior — Your demand for holy character and gracious compassion — to be hard, burdensome, and limiting. I know, O God, that You have the authority to demand this of me. I realize that Your desire is for my wholeness as well as my holiness. I realize that You have demonstrated Your great love for me in Jesus — entering my world, bearing my sin, sharing my burdens so that I can be Your child. Thank You! In the name of Jesus, I thank You. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, 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.
Too Close to See the Truth
Note from Jesus Dear Friend of Grace, Some reactions are predictable, but still hurt. At first, the people of Nazareth — the town where I spent most of My years growing from a boy into a man — were amazed at My teaching. Then their perception of Me changed. They thought they knew Me. They had seen Me grow up. They thought of Me as just a carpenter (Mark 6:3). They had not seen anything that suggested that I was extraordinary or impressive. To them, I was just another ordinary, God-loving, God-fearing, Torah-obeying, Jewish carpenter Who was their neighbor. When I read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue as recorded in today’s Scripture, the people thought nothing of it. When I applied Isaiah’s passage of mission, liberation, celebration, and grace, they were impressed… at first. Then My words began to sink in and they couldn’t get around their own conceptions of Who they thought I was. I was saying this passage, which was often associated with the blessings brought by the Messiah, was coming true right before their eyes. They went from being amazed and impressed to being furious and murderous. They actually became angrier when I told them the truth, a truth simply too close to them for them to see: the truth that I AM the Messiah. This boy Whom they had seen grow into a man was claiming to be God’s Anointed, the long awaited Messiah. I reminded them and warned them that Elijah and Elisha had similar problems with the folks in their hometowns, so these great prophets ended up blessing foreigners and outsiders who were desperate and hopeless — which is actually the point of the passage I read from Isaiah. My words made My neighbors, fellow townspeople, and relatives angrier. But no matter how angry they were and how outnumbered I was, they couldn’t get rid of Me! That’s the amazing reality of truth: you may not see it or believe it, but you cannot escape it or hide it. Sooner or later the truth comes out. I came as the Father’s Messiah — the Liberator and Deliverer of those in bondage of any and all kinds. The anger of the people who heard Me, their confusion, and their denial of these realities would not change the truth of My identity or stop the impact of My work! Verses to Live Church people can be a lot like the people of My hometown. They think they know Me because they’ve talked about Me for many years and they have an idea about what they think they should expect from Me. However, I AM the Father’s Anointed, the liberating Savior Who brings grace to those who realize they desperately need it. My disciples should be about bringing grace to the same kind of people in their world. Even if you think you have Me figured out, you shouldn’t discount what I can do through you. I have far bigger plans for you than you can ask or imagine, plans that can be realized through the Spirit Who lives in you (John 14:12-14; Ephesians 3:20-21). I want you, where you are, in the time you live, to bring My salvation to people who need it most… right now! He [Jesus] eventually came to His hometown, Nazareth, and did there what He had done elsewhere in Galilee — entered the synagogue and stood up to read from the Hebrew Scriptures. The synagogue attendant gave Him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and Jesus unrolled it to the place where Isaiah had written these words: Jesus: The Spirit of the Lord the Eternal One is on Me. Why? Because the Eternal designated Me to be His representative to the poor, to preach good news to them. He sent Me to tell those who are held captive that they can now be set free, and to tell the blind that they can now see. He sent Me to liberate those held down by oppression. In short, the Spirit is upon Me to proclaim that now is the time; this is the jubilee season of the Eternal One’s grace. Jesus rolled up the scroll and returned it to the synagogue attendant. Then He sat down, as a teacher would do, and all in the synagogue focused their attention on Jesus, waiting for Him to speak. He told them that these words from the Hebrew Scriptures were being fulfilled then and there, in their hearing. At first everyone was deeply impressed with the gracious words that poured from Jesus’ lips. Everyone spoke well of Him and was amazed that He could say these things. Everyone: Wait. This is only the son of Joseph, right? Jesus: You’re about to quote the old proverb to Me, “Doctor, heal yourself!” Then you’re going to ask Me to prove Myself to you by doing the same miracles I did in Capernaum. But face the truth: hometowns always reject their homegrown prophets. Think back to the prophet Elijah. There were many needy Jewish widows in his homeland, Israel, when a terrible famine persisted there for three and a half years. Yet the only widow God sent Elijah to help was an outsider from Zarephath in Sidon. It was the same with the prophet Elisha. There were many Jewish lepers in his homeland, but the only one he healed — Naaman — was an outsider from Syria. The people in the synagogue became furious when He said these things. They seized Jesus, took Him to the edge of town, and pushed Him right to the edge of the cliff on which the city was built. They would have pushed Him off and killed Him, but He passed through the crowd and went on His way. (Luke 4:16-30) Response in Prayer Almighty and Sovereign God, I sometimes forget just how big you are. I confess that I sometimes don’t expect Jesus to do much through me and those around me. I believe, dear Father, but please