Purpose and Power
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, You probably know the story that is told by Doctor Luke in the verses below. Familiarity can sometimes lead you to miss something important in the story. After My ascension to the Father, My closest disciples returned “to Jerusalem, filled with intense joy, and they return again and again to the temple to celebrate God.” These are the same disciples who were distraught and immobilized by My death. Why? Why the “intense joy”? Why “celebrate God”? Why be glad that I had left them to return to the Father? Notice two things that My disciples received from Me in the joyous goodbye in the verses below: I promised to send My disciples the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. I gave these disciples a clear mission. They were to begin where they were (Jerusalem), go to the surrounding regions (Judea and Samaria), and share My message with the world (the farthest places on earth). I gave My followers a purpose and the power to carry out that purpose. So today, as you read these verses about My parting from My disciples, I want you to remember something important. You have the same purpose they did, and you have been given the same power I shared with them. I don’t want you making excuses! I don’t want long faces! It’s time for some “intense joy” as you “celebrate God”! Celebrate the salvation given you through My death, burial, and resurrection. Celebrate because you have a great purpose for your life in the world. Celebrate that I have poured out all the power you need to live up to the purpose I gave you! Verses to Live There are two sections of Scripture today. Both were written by Luke, the physician. The first one is from the beginning of the book of Acts. Here Luke summarizes some of the things from his gospel, including some of My last instructions to My disciples. The second Scripture is from the very end of Luke’s gospel and records My ascension and the disciples’ following My instructions to return to Jerusalem. To a lover of God, Theophilus: In my first book [the gospel of Luke], I recounted the events of Jesus’ life — His actions, His teachings — from the beginning of His life until He was taken up into heaven. After His great suffering and vindication, He showed His apostles that He was alive — appearing to them repeatedly over a period of 40 days, giving them many convincing proofs of His resurrection. As before, He spoke constantly of the kingdom of God. During these appearances, He had instructed His chosen messengers through the Holy Spirit, prohibiting them from leaving Jerusalem, but rather requiring them to wait there until they received what He called “the promise of the Father.” Jesus: This is what you heard Me teach — that just as John ritually cleansed people with water through baptism, so you will be washed with the Holy Spirit very soon. When they had gathered just outside Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus, Disciples: Is now the time, Lord — the time when You will reestablish Your kingdom in our land of Israel? Jesus: The Father, on His own authority, has determined the ages and epochs of history, but you have not been given this knowledge. Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth. (Acts 1:1-8) Then He [Jesus] leads them [His disciples] out to Bethany. He lifts up His hands and blesses them, and at that moment, with His hands raised in blessing, He leaves them and is carried up into heaven. They worship Him, then they return to Jerusalem, filled with intense joy, and they return again and again to the temple to celebrate God. (Luke 24:50-53) Response in Prayer Forgive me, O God, for thinking negatively, for not believing fully. Forgive me for not taking the time to rejoice because of the purpose you have given me for my life. Forgive me for not celebrating the power of the Holy Spirit to live out that purpose. Let the joy of heaven and the Holy Spirit’s power move me, stir me, and propel me to share Your grace with great joy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Hebrew Scriptures
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, In today’s verses, I AM in the final preparation stages of leaving My disciples and ascending back to the Father. Although the promised Helper, the Holy Spirit, would come later to them on the day of Pentecost, I wanted to open their minds and help them see that many passages in the Hebrew Scriptures (your Old Testament) pointed to My birth, life, death, and resurrection. As I journey with you through the New Testament the rest of this year, you will find many different passages from the Hebrew Scriptures that are quoted in the different writings that make up the New Testament. This continuity is a reminder that your Bible is the story of the Father’s plan of redemption, revealed through the Holy Spirit and delivered through My work in your world. One of the responsibilities of the prophets in the early church was to help explain how these Hebrew Scriptures pointed to Me. Matthew took a special interest in pointing out how My ministry fulfilled these Scriptures. The early sermons by Peter, Stephen, and Paul in the book of Acts used these Hebrew Scriptures to affirm My identity as the Anointed One of Israel, the Messiah. I promised to send the Holy Spirit to My disciples to help them know the truth and to help the early witnesses speak My message and remember My words and deeds. And the precious time I had with My closest disciples just before My ascension was crucial in beginning the process of connecting them to My story and the grand story of the Scriptures. What happens is all part of Our — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s — plan to redeem your broken world. When you look at your Bible, I want you to know that it is all part of My story. I existed even before the beginning and then as Creator (Colossians 1:15-17). I was promised as a Savior after the terrible rebellion in the garden when Adam and Eve rejected the Father’s instructions and chose to live their own way. I was there leading My people through the parted waters of the sea delivering them from Pharaoh’s hand. I was there in the pillar of fire and the cloud that led My people through their wilderness wanderings. I was there when the promise was made to Abraham and to David that a descendant would bless all nations and reign as Lord and King forever. I was there when the prophets spoke of My coming. I was there all through the journey, but I became flesh, being born of a virgin in fulfillment of the expectations and prophecies about My coming. Because I was there all along in the events recounted in the Hebrew Scriptures, I want you to remember what Paul told Timothy about these Scriptures. Notice especially the underlined part and realize that I can open up the power of the Hebrew Scriptures to you and help you find life and salvation in them: So surely you ought to stick to what you know is certain. All you have learned comes from people you know and trust because since childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which enable you to be wise and lead to salvation through faith in Jesus the Anointed. All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17) Verses to Live The Hebrew Scriptures lead you to Me. Your faith in Me helps you understand those ancient words and brings you the salvation the Scriptures anticipate and declare. Jesus: I’ve been telling you [Jesus’ disciples, after His resurrection] this all along, that everything written about Me in the Hebrew Scriptures must be fulfilled — everything from the law of Moses to the prophets to the psalms. Then He opens their minds so they can comprehend the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus: This is what the Scriptures said: that the promised Anointed One should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, that in His name a radical change of thought and life should be preached, and that in His name the forgiveness of sins should be preached, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to all nations. You have witnessed the fulfillment of these things. So I am sending My Father’s promise to you. Stay in the city until you receive it — until power from heaven comes upon you. (Luke 24:44-49) Response in Prayer Almighty God, I thank You for Your work in creation through the ages. I thank You for working for my salvation and redemption. I thank You for promising to send the Messiah, Jesus my Lord, long before He came to earth. I thank You for Jesus’ story that was proclaimed by those inspired by Your Spirit and that is now my own story of salvation. In Jesus’ name, I thank You. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
My Prayer
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Follower, The verses you will read today come from a very emotional time on the night I was betrayed. These verses are My prayer for My disciples. I want you to notice five things I say to the Father — five important truths and areas of importance to Me. First, I spoke to the Father about Our glory. I looked forward to the day when My disciples would fully experience this “collective glory.” I had this glory with the Father “before the creation existed.” This shared glory before creation should remind you of the love We shared long “before the foundations of the cosmos were laid.” I began and ended My prayer with these thoughts. Second, I prayed for unity. I prayed for My earliest disciples to be one. I wanted this to be more than just the unity of easy times and pleasant talk. I wanted this unity to be as real as the unity the Father and I share. My first disciples had great opportunities and faced harsh resistance and vicious persecution. They needed to be one just as the Father and I are one. Third, I prayed for you. Yes, I prayed for you nearly two thousand years ago! You see, I prayed for those who would believe in Me because of the apostles’ testimony. That is My prayer for you: I want you to be one — unified in mission, purpose, and grace. This desire is not just because I want you to get along with each other, but also because I want the world to believe in Me and that the Father sent Me. Your unity should reflect Our unity to the world. Fourth, being one in genuine unity is really a reflection of love. I had told My disciples that a defining characteristic showing they are My disciples would be their love for each other (John 13:34-35). This genuine love, love like the Father and I have for each other, is a foretaste of the grace, joy, life, and glory that the Father and I long to share with you in Our home. The Helper, the Holy Spirit that I have given you, fills you with this love and all its attendant graces (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22-23). Finally, I want you to notice that My prayer as I faced My crucifixion was not for Me. I would pray later in the garden from the depths of My heart about what I faced. However, this prayer in today’s verses was for My disciples in every age — for the apostles and first disciples who would take My love and My message to the world and for you who are recipients of that message centuries later and who are also called to take My Love and My message to the world. Never for one moment think My heart is not concerned for you and your part in My family and how My family will impact the world. Verses to Live I want you to read this prayer several times. Listen behind the words and between the lines. Feel the depth of My love for the Father and for you. Recognize that there is so much going on in these words that is bigger than just the words themselves. These words share My heart about eternity, glory, love, and family, and you are an important part of each of these! Jesus (lifting His face to the heavens): Father, My time has come. Glorify Your Son, and I will bring You great glory because You have given Me total authority over humanity. I have come bearing the plentiful gifts of God; and all who receive Me will experience everlasting life, a new intimate relationship with You (the one True God) and Jesus the Anointed (the One You have sent). I have glorified You on earth and fulfilled the mission You set before Me. In this moment, Father, fuse Our collective glory and bring Us together as We were before creation existed. You have entrusted Me with these men who have come out of this corrupt world order. I have told them about Your nature and declared Your name to them, and they have held on to Your words and understood that these words, like everything else You have given Me, come from You. It is true that these men You gave Me have received the words that come from You and not only understood them but also believed that You sent Me. I am now making an appeal to You on their behalf. This request is not for the entire world; it is for those whom You have given to Me because they are Yours. Yours and Mine, Mine and Yours, for all that are Mine are Yours. Through them I have been glorified. I will no longer be physically present in this world, but they will remain in this world. As I return to be with You, holy Father, remain with them through Your name, the name You have given Me. May they be one even as We are one. While I was physically present with them, I protected them through Your name. I watched over them closely; and only one was lost, the one the Scriptures said was the son of destruction. Now I am returning to You. I am speaking this prayer here in the created cosmos alongside friends and foes so that in hearing it they might be consumed with joy. I have given them Your word; and the world has despised them because they are not products of the world, in the same way that I am not a product of the corrupt world order. Do not take them out of this world; protect them from the evil one. Like Me, they are not products of the corrupt world order. Immerse them in the truth, the truth Your voice speaks. In the same way You sent Me into this world, I am sending them. It is entirely
Sending the Great Helper
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, My ascension back to the Father was a wonderful blessing. I know that you would love to have My physical presence with you — to see Me minister, heal, cast out demons, teach, and preach. That was also true of the eleven apostles and My closest disciples that I left behind as I ascended to the Father, so I told them not to believe what seemed so obvious to them: But the truth is that My departure will be a gift that will serve you well, because if I don’t leave, the great Helper will not come to your aid. When I leave, I will send Him to you. Without My ascension, My departure, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have come to their aid and the Helper wouldn’t be available to aid you. My ascension meant that I would send the Holy Spirit to be My people’s Helper — your Helper. The Spirit helps My disciples point others to the truth about Me. The Helper gives My followers strength to face their trials. The Helper works through My friends when they proclaim Me. The Helper convicts lost people of their sin, of their need for righteousness, and of their need to change because the world they trust, along with the powers of evil behind it, have already been defeated. The Helper guides My beloved disciples into the truth about Me. In a couple of days, I will begin sharing the book of Acts with you. The opening verses of Acts tell about My ascending back to the Father (Acts 1:1-11). I commissioned My disciples to share My story of grace with the whole world, but I told them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, before beginning their mission. The Spirit’s coming on the day of Pentecost ignited them on their mission with power (Acts 2:1-4). All that I promised them about the Helper came true as they lived out this mission. This little band of believers, propelled by the power and presence of the Helper, changed the world. I have given you this same Helper, the Holy Spirit, to empower you to impact your world like this first band of believers altered their world! Verses to Live Just as those early disciples changed the world, I am calling on you to rely on this same Helper to empower, to strengthen, to inform, to guide, and to propel you to change your world. The last words in today’s verses remind you that I am confident in the Helper’s power to do this: The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you. This same Holy Spirit is at work in you because I have ascended to the Father and sent the Helper to you! Jesus: I will send a great Helper to you from the Father, one known as the Spirit of truth. He comes from the Father and will point to the truth as it concerns Me. But you will also point others to the truth about My identity, because you have journeyed with Me since this all began. I am telling you all of this so that you may avoid the offenses that are coming. The time will come when they will kick you out of the synagogue because some believe God desires them to execute you as an act of faithful service. They will do this because they don’t know the Father, or else they would know Me. I’m telling you all this so that when it comes to pass you will remember what you have heard. It was not important for Me to give you this information in the beginning when I was with you. But now, I am going to the One Who has sent Me, and none of you ask Me, “Where are You going?” I know that hearing news like this is overwhelming and sad. But the truth is that My departure will be a gift that will serve you well, because if I don’t leave, the great Helper will not come to your aid. When I leave, I will send Him to you. When He arrives, He will uncover the sins of the world, expose unbelief as sin, and allow all to see their sins in the light of righteousness for the first time. This new awareness of righteousness is important because I am going to the Father and will no longer be present with you. The Spirit will also carry My judgment because the one who rules in this world has already been defeated. I have so much more to say, but you cannot absorb it right now. The Spirit of truth will come and guide you in all truth. He will not speak His own words to you; He will speak what He hears, revealing to you the things to come and bringing glory to Me. The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you. (John 15:26-27; John 16:1-15) Response in Prayer O Father, I take seriously Jesus’ commission to reach the world with Your grace. I trust that the Helper Jesus promised is alive in me. I trust the Holy Spirit will help me share You with the world. I thank You for the Spirit’s presence within me and His power available to me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Despised?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, During My earthly ministry, I warned My disciples that following Me would not be easy. The words you read in the verses below were spoken right before My own rejection, betrayal, arrest, torture, crucifixion, and death. My warnings sounded ominous to those disciples gathered around Me on the night of My betrayal. This particular part of My warnings took on a much greater sense of foreboding after My crucifixion: “If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. … If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less.” The beloved disciple remembered these words of warning and reiterated them decades later: “Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you” (1 John 3:13). Persecution has been and will continue to be very much a part of being My disciple (2 Timothy 3:12). When your role model is the crucified Messiah, then you should expect to face some pretty stout challenges yourself. In the first part of the verses below, I told My disciples the reasons that they would face persecution. Persecution and loss of rights for My disciples are becoming more and more prevalent in your world, too. Just like My first followers, you need to know that you are not alone as you face trials, ostracism, distrust, false accusations, persecution, and even death. I AM with you! I promised My disciples that I would be with them through the presence of the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit. In today’s verses, this promise follows immediately after the very honest acknowledgement of the hardships. The work of the Holy Spirit is to be with you, to be My presence in you, and to give you peace. The Spirit is your Helper and Advocate. Even in the worst of situations, the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say when you are under trial (Luke 12:11-12). Even if all others seem to abandon you in your hour of need, I will never abandon you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-6). You may face difficult times, but you will never have to face them alone! Verses to Live Please remember that I have called you to be different from the world. I have called you to be salt and light in the world of decay and darkness. You are not “of the world,” so the world won’t accept you. Yet be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. My glorious position is your assurance of future glory! Jesus: If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised Me. If you were a product of the world order, then it would love you. But you are not a product of the world because I have taken you out of it, and it despises you for that very reason. Don’t forget what I have spoken to you: “a servant is not greater than the master.” If I was mistreated, you should expect nothing less. If they accepted what I have spoken, they will also hear you. Everything they do to you they will do on My account because they do not know the One Who has sent Me. If I had not spoken within their hearing, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for ignoring My voice. If someone despises Me, he also despises My Father. If I had not demonstrated things for them that have never been done, they would not be guilty of sin. But the reality is they have stared Me in the face, and they have despised Me and the Father nonetheless. Yet their law, which says, “They despised Me without any cause,” has again been proven true. I will send a great Helper to you from the Father, one known as the Spirit of truth. He comes from the Father and will point to the truth as it concerns Me. But you will also point others to the truth about My identity, because you have journeyed with Me since this all began. (John 15:18-27) Response in Prayer I pray to You, dear Father of mercy and God of all grace. Sometimes I feel like I am swimming upstream against the current of popular opinion because I follow Jesus. Forgive me, dear Father, for being weak at times. Remind me of Your abiding presence within me through the Holy Spirit. Give me words to say to those who doubt or disbelieve You. Give me wisdom to know how and when to share my faith in Jesus with others. Bless me with courage when I feel alone and with confidence to remember Jesus’ promise of the Spirit’s presence and help in my times of need. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Let’s Stay Connected!
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Before I ascended to the Father, I promised My disciples that I would send the Spirit. I promised I would pour out the Spirit on people with faith in Me as they were baptized into Me (John 7:37-39; Titus 3:3-7). On the night I was betrayed, I reiterated this promise over and over again as I talked to My closest disciples about the Spirit being their Helper when I was gone (John chapters 14-16). The Helper’s presence would be their assurance that We — Father, Son, and Spirit — make our home in you and We will never leave or forsake you. I want you to know that My promise to send the Helper is for you, too. In your world, a house can have many power outlets. However, the electric devices and appliances won’t be able to fulfill their purposes unless they are connected to the power source. The same is true for the work of the Spirit in your life. The Helper is My power source for you. You need the Spirit’s presence and power in your life to fulfill your purpose as My disciple. I emphasized that your part of this process is to love Me and obey what I call you to do: The one who loves Me will do the things I have commanded. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you. (John 14:21) Your obedience, your commitment to abide in Me and live for Me, connects you to that power source found in the Helper’s presence. Today’s verses that you find below remind you to stay connected to Me. Our relationship is organic and relational, not mechanical or just organizational. You abide in Me. I am your vine. You are My branch. There is no source of true life for a literal branch unless it remains connected to the vine, and there is no everlasting source of life in you unless you remain connected to Me! You remain connected to Me — you connect to the power source of the Holy Spirit, the Helper I’ve sent to you — when you choose to love. In My earthly ministry, I taught the importance of love being the guiding star in your life as you seek to live for Me: Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, a group of Pharisees met to consider new questions that might trip up Jesus. A legal expert thought of one that would certainly stump Him. Pharisees: Teacher, of all the laws, which commandment is the greatest? Jesus (quoting Scripture): “Love the Eternal One your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is nearly as important, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The rest of the law, and all the teachings of the prophets, are but variations on these themes. (Matthew 22:34-40) You remain connected to Me when you love Us — Father, Son, and Spirit — with all your heart, soul, and mind and when you share that love with others. When you love Us, you live in My love as well as share My love with everyone with whom you interact. The Spirit within you will be your source of a never-ending supply of this love (Romans 5:5). So stay connected to Me and to each other by loving and by living in My love. Keep the love flowing! Verses to Live The image of the vine and branches is a powerful one that illustrates a spiritual truth you must not neglect: you must remain connected to Me! Jesus: I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; already you are clean because you have heard My voice. Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn. If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father. I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. Follow My example in obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you will stay in My love. I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction, which is why I am telling you all of this. My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. You celebrate our friendship if you obey this command. I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends. You did not choose Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. This is My command to you: love one another. (John 15:1-17) Response in Prayer O God, please move through the Holy Spirit within me and help me love others ever more completely,
I Will Be with You!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, My return to the Father after My crucifixion and resurrection was important for many reasons. However, for My apostles, the experience of losing My presence on earth was terrifying. After My crucifixion, they had retreated to an upper room in Jerusalem behind a locked door not knowing what to do (John 20:19-20). While My resurrection raised their hopes, after forty days they still had to adjust to life without My physical presence. After I had left them to return to the Father, they remembered that I had told them that I was going back to the Father. My leaving would have been even more troubling to them if I had not given them the promises that you read in the verses below. My return to the Father would not mean that I had left them: I would continue to live in them and be with them, and they would remember My life and words because I would send them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word John used to speak about “the Spirit of truth” was paraklaetos — translated as “Helper,” “Comforter,” “Counselor,” and “Advocate” in different versions of the Bible. The presence of the Helper would ensure that they would not be left alone to do the work I would later call them to do. They would never face the opportunities and trials of discipleship alone. The Spirit, the Helper, ensured the presence of the Father along with My presence. Our presence would bring them peace — My peace, not peace like the world gives, but everlasting and life-altering peace. My promise began with My assurance that I would bring My disciples home to Me (John 14:1-3 — see My note from yesterday). In today’s Scripture, however, I assure them that they would not have to wait till they come to Us for Us to make Our home with them. Since they would obey and live for Us, we would choose to make Our home with them. Now here is a great thing about these promises that were originally made to My earliest disciples: these promises are for you, too! Look at My promise. Each word was chosen carefully so that you could know that you are included: Anyone who loves Me will listen to My voice and obey. The Father will love him, and We will draw close to him and make a dwelling place within him. That means the following promises that I made are your promises as well: I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, Who will remain constantly with you. I will never abandon you like orphans; I will return to be with you. Because I live, you will also live. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you. The Father will love him [anyone who loves and obeys God], and We will draw close to him and make a dwelling place within him. The Father is sending a great Helper, the Holy Spirit, in My name to teach you everything and to remind you of all I have said to you. My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I will go away, but I will also return to be with you. So I hope you can see that My physical absence is not a disadvantage for you, just as it was not a disadvantage for the early disciples. On Pentecost, I poured out the Holy Spirit on them to do My work and bring My presence to them (Acts 2:2-4; Acts 2:33). At your baptism, I poured out this same Holy Spirit on you (Titus 3:3-7). These promises are for you. I encourage you to learn all you can about the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that I have sent to live in you and be My presence with you. And today, I want you to rest assured in the peace of God that passes all understanding that you will never be alone. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — have made our home in you until you can come home to Us and share Our home with Us! This assurance should bring you everlasting peace. If you would like to learn more about the Holy Spirit through a short daily devotional on the Spirit’s work, check Heartlight’s devotional God’s Holy Fire — you can subscribe and receive God’s Holy Fire free in your inbox every day. Verses to Live Be blessed by these promises about the Spirit, the Helper that I have sent to you. Remember, these words are not just for the apostles who first heard them, but also to anyone who is truly My disciple. May these words bring you peace. Jesus: If you love Me, obey the commandments I have given you. I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, Who will remain constantly with you. The world does not recognize the Spirit of truth, because it does not know the Spirit and is unable to receive Him. But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you. I will never abandon you like orphans; I will return to be with you. In a little while, the world will not see Me; but I will not vanish completely from your sight. Because I live, you will also live. At that time, you will know that I am in the Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who loves Me will do the things I have commanded. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you. The Other Judas: Lord, why will You reveal Yourself to us, but not to the world? Jesus: Anyone who loves Me will listen to My voice and obey. The Father will love him, and
Hold These Promises in Your Heart
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, Beginning today and for the next several days, I will remind you of things I shared with My closest disciples on the night I was betrayed. The beloved disciple, known to you as John, wrote these things down for you. They contain a series of comforting words and empowering promises about what I can do and will do for you because I have returned to the Father. Many of these promises focus upon My sending of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s intercession for you as your advocate at the Father’s side. Today I want you to recognize My promises that you will find in the verses below. These promises are yours because of My resurrection from the dead and My ascension to the right hand of the Father. These are great promises for you to memorize as a source of encouragement on days that are not so great, so I encourage you to hold these promises in your heart: My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together. If you know Me, you know the Father. If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. …whoever believes in Me will be able to do what I have done, but they will do even greater things, because I will return to be with the Father. Whatever you ask for in My name, I will do it so that the Father will get glory from the Son. My returning to the Father is so important for My disciples — including you, but My first disciples could not anticipate how My leaving them would be to their advantage. However, I wanted them to know — and yes, I want you to know this as well — My role at the Father’s side as your intercessor, advocate, and gift-giver is to your great advantage. So remember My promises and don’t forget to ask of Me. I AM at the Father’s side for you until you come home to Us! Verses to Live Home is such an important place. I want you to know that I am preparing your new home with Me. This assurance is just one of several incredible promises you will find in the verses below as I speak the truth about My love for you, My preparation for you, My presence in you, and the coming of the Holy Spirit — the Spirit will be more of our focus tomorrow. Be blessed! Jesus: Don’t get lost in despair; believe in God, and keep on believing in Me. My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. If there were not room for everyone, I would have told you that. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together. You know where I am going and how to get there. Thomas: Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the path? Jesus: I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you know Me, you know the Father. Rest assured now; you know Him and have seen Him. Philip: Lord, all I am asking is that You show us the Father. Jesus (to Philip): I have lived with you all this time, and you still don’t know Who I am? If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. How can you keep asking to see the Father? Don’t you believe Me when I say I abide in the Father and the Father dwells in Me? I’m not making this up as I go along. The Father has given Me these truths that I have been speaking to you, and He empowers all My actions. Accept these truths: I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. If you have trouble believing based on My words, believe because of the things I have done. I tell you the truth: whoever believes in Me will be able to do what I have done, but they will do even greater things, because I will return to be with the Father. Whatever you ask for in My name, I will do it so that the Father will get glory from the Son. Let Me say it again: if you ask for anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:1-14) Response in Prayer O Father, these precious promises give me great hope and will sustain me through my darkest days and longest nights as I await the reunion of all who belong to You on the day Jesus returns. Until then, I will pray in Jesus’ name and rejoice in the blessings that are mine because Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to Your right hand, and lives to make intercession for me and others like me who love You and long for Jesus’ return. I praise and thank You. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Third Time
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, The last few days I’ve visited with you about Peter’s restoration and several important principles regarding confession, forgiveness, grace, cleansing, and restoration. In today’s verses, you get to read how I lovingly confronted Peter concerning his bold claims about not failing Me even if the other apostles did and concerning his subsequent denial of Me on the night Judas betrayed Me. On Peter’s third denial, the rooster crowed, he realized his failure, and he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:59-62). The verses below continue the account of My third appearance to the apostles. I asked Peter three times if he loved Me. He was hurt when I asked him a third time. Don’t miss the symmetry — third denial, third appearance, third time I asked the question. This is no mere coincidence. This is the delicate art of loving confrontation — the parallels of things involving the “third” time, the careful wording, the loving but clear confrontation of Peter about his bold claims about being faithful when I washed his feet (John 13:1-38). I asked Peter three times about his love for Me. On that third time, let’s just say that he heard that rooster crow figuratively once again. Three denials. Three times I asked on our third visit after the resurrection about his three denials. The point was clearly there for Peter and everyone else around the fire with Me to understand. I likewise made clear to Peter in front of the other disciples that I was calling him back to ministry: “Take care of My lambs. … Shepherd My sheep. … Look after My sheep.” With each question about his love for Me, Peter also received an affirmation of My call for him to be a pastor. The original meaning of “pastor” was “shepherd.” I was calling Peter to shepherd My people. For those keeping up with each of the “thirds,” let’s go over them: Peter heard the rooster crow on his third denial. This is My third visit with the disciples after My resurrection. Peter was hurt when I asked him the third time if he loved Me. Peter heard My call for him to be a shepherd of My sheep a third time. Why was this loving, yet clear, confrontation so important? It was important because Peter’s fellow apostles knew about his denials. Peter needed to be reclaimed and restored to leadership. He would never have been if he hadn’t been lovingly confronted with his failure and if he hadn’t received My call in front of those he disappointed — a call for him to come back to leadership. I let him know serving Me as a leader wouldn’t be easy, but that is what I was calling him to do. Eventually, he was going to follow Me into a death like I endured as a martyr. He would follow Me. He would reach out to people as a shepherd. He would be a great leader among My people. He would give his life in the process. In the end, he would live up to the brash promises he had made earlier on the night he denied even knowing Me — but he would live up to his promises only after being humbled, lovingly confronted, and called back into ministry. That is what it means to be forgiven, cleansed, reclaimed, and restored! One last time, you see Peter being Peter: After I confronted him and then told him about the nature of his death, he wanted to know what was going to happen to the beloved disciple. It was like he was saying, “OK Lord, I know I’m going to die for you, but what about him?” Before Peter could go very far down that road of comparison of worth, value, and life span, I reminded him of the only issue that mattered: “… what difference will this make to you? You follow Me!” That, My beloved friend, is the issue for you today. Don’t let failure, pride, embarrassment, overstatement, rivalry, jealousy, envy, or any other sin stand in the way of your following Me. Just as surely as you must face your failure, you have to know that even more I want to reclaim, remake, and restore you to useful service in My kingdom. So, follow Me! Verses to Live Today’s verses continue the story from yesterday — the time after My resurrection when Peter took six other disciples fishing with him. Not only does this story parallel closely the time I originally called Peter, Andrew, James and John from their lives as fishermen, but there are those “third-time” parallels that run throughout this event. All of that is important to notice, however, only if you get the message: When you have failed Me and failed other disciples, I don’t want you to give up and quit. I don’t want you living your life in guilt and suspicion because you have not addressed your sinful failures. I want to recall you to ministry. Notice how I do this with Peter. Jesus took the bread and gave it to each of them, and then He did the same with the fish. This was the third time the disciples had seen Jesus since His death and resurrection. They finished eating breakfast. Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these other things? Simon Peter: Yes, Lord. You know that I love You. Jesus: Take care of My lambs. Jesus asked him a second time… Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Simon Peter: Yes, Lord. You must surely know that I love You. Jesus: Shepherd My sheep. Jesus (for the third time): Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Peter was hurt because He asked him the same question a third time, “Do you love Me?” Simon Peter: Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You. Jesus: Look after My sheep. I tell you the truth: when you were younger, you would
Back at the Beginning?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Sometimes things have a way of repeating themselves. The events in the verses below occurred after My resurrection. The apostle Peter and six of My other disciples were back where Peter was when I first called him to follow me (Luke 5:1-11); they were fishing. Once again, they caught no fish during a long night of fishing. Once again, I directed them how to catch fish, and they netted a huge haul of fish. After experiencing the miraculous catch of fish earlier when I was calling My first disciples, Peter fell at My feet and said: I can’t take this, Lord. I’m a sinful man. You shouldn’t be around the likes of me. (Luke 5:8). I then called Peter to leave his life as a fisherman and follow Me to start reaching people with My good news. After over three years of ministry with Me, Peter was back where he began. But I needed him ready to lead My disciples to take the good news to the world. However, Peter’s failure stood in the way. Despite My warning, he denied Me three times on the night I was betrayed. Despite his claims that he would not fail Me even if the other disciples did, he failed to live up to his word. Peter’s failure stood in the way of his leadership. There was that other problem in the verses below: a problem symbolized by Peter’s jumping into the water, swimming ashore, and leaving the other men behind in the boat to take care of the fish. Peter needed to humble himself, do the little things that needed to be done and live faithfully for Me. Most importantly, the confession that he was a sinful man didn’t happen this second time. Enough time had passed for Peter to own the ways he had failed Me on the night I was betrayed. He had not done so. My appearance to Peter and the apostles on the beach — see the verses below — was My third appearance to them after My resurrection. Peter had not yet confessed his failure and asked for forgiveness from the disciples or Me. Bottom line: Peter’s failure and his brash bravado stood in the way of his being a great servant leader in the new church that was about to be born. So I began My ministry of restoration with Peter. I would firmly, but lovingly, help him confront his failure in front the men who knew it best. I seized this opportunity to help Peter remember — to remember his initial call to become a fisherman for people and follow Me and to remember his failure to live up to his brash promises. In tomorrow’s verses, you will join Me as I directly but lovingly confront and restore Peter. Today, however, I want you to think about how your own sin and failure can make you feel as if you have to start all over and as if you have to win My trust and earn your right to My grace. Please know that is not true. I long to forgive and restore you. I do ask that you own your failure, that you trust the sufficiency of My grace, and that you get back to following Me. But don’t let shame destroy you. Don’t let your pride keep you from being honest with Me and others. Don’t let the evil one cloud your heart with doubts about My love for you. I long to restore you. I want to use you to grow My kingdom and share My grace. I will use your failures to help you learn to be gracious and empathetic with others so they can be restored, too. I did it with Peter. I will do it with you! Believe in My love for you. Rely on the grace I have for you. Trust the plans that I have to use you. Follow me! Verses to Live Notice how similar this situation is to the first call of Peter (Luke 5:1-11). Then notice how these two events are different. Why do you think I chose for this to be the scene of My third appearance to the apostles after My resurrection? What do you think would have happened to Peter and his leadership if I had not confronted him about his failure before I returned to the Father? There was one other time when Jesus appeared to the disciples — this time by the Sea of Tiberias. This is how it happened: Simon Peter, Thomas (the Twin), Nathanael (the Galilean from Cana), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter (to disciples): I am going fishing. Disciples: Then we will come with you. They went out in the boat and caught nothing through the night. As day was breaking, Jesus was standing on the beach; but they did not know it was Jesus. Jesus: My sons, you haven’t caught any fish, have you? Disciples: No. Jesus: Throw your net on the starboard side of the boat, and your net will find the fish. They did what He said, and suddenly they could not lift their net because of the massive weight of the fish that filled it. The disciple loved by Jesus turned to Peter and said: Beloved Disciple: It is the Lord. Immediately, when Simon Peter heard these words, he threw on his shirt (which he would take off while he was working) and dove into the sea. The rest of the disciples followed him, bringing in the boat and dragging in their net full of fish. They were close to the shore, fishing only about 100 yards out. When they arrived on shore, they saw a charcoal fire laid with fish on the grill. He had bread too. Jesus (to disciples): Bring some of the fish you just caught. Simon Peter went back to the boat to unload the fish from the net. He pulled 153 large fish from the