My Messages for My Churches
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, The apostle Paul talked about My church as My body, with Me as its head (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). His point was that the church is an organism, a living body getting its life-giving direction and coordination from Me. As John recorded in his gospel, I used the image of sheep and a shepherd (John 10:11-16) to make the same point. I AM alive forever and live to bless, lead, protect, empower, and direct the work of My people. What happens to My church, My people, happens to Me. In today’s verses, you will read about seven churches in Asia Minor and about a unique message I sent to each church. Even though these churches were located near to each other, each had its own situation with specific circumstances, problems, and opportunities. Over the years, My disciples have debated about the meaning of the seven churches. Most Bible students know the number seven represents perfection or completeness. So yes, these seven churches stand for My entire church and her needs. Some have talked about seven different eras and that each of these seven churches represents a different era in church history. Others point to the seven churches as the seven types of churches that are always in existence in the world at any given time. I want you to realize that these were seven actual congregations that existed at the end of the first century in Asia Minor, each facing very challenging circumstances. My words were first and foremost a message these churches needed to hear for their circumstances in their time. My messages to them were urgent and important. My chosen means of revealing these messages to them through the vision John saw of Me emphasizes that urgency. The commands to these churches were emphatic and pressing. They needed to respond to My messages, or they would cease to be My churches. Now you need to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to understand how you and your congregation should apply these messages. In The Apocalypse that you call the book of Revelation, I gave John a series of different sights, words, and sounds revealing Who I AM and what I do for My church. While I will identify Myself with a different image to each of these seven churches, the key image that stands over all seven churches and all seven letters is this one: When I [John] turned around to see what sort of voice this was that was addressing me, I saw seven golden lampstands. And among the lampstands, I saw One like the Son of Man… (Revelation 1:12-13) I revealed what I meant by seven lampstands with these words: …the seven lampstands are the seven churches themselves. (Revelation 1:20) I AM alive and move among My churches. I know what My churches do. I know how they are doing with their mission. I know who they are. I know what they need. I know if they are faithful, disloyal, persecuted, bordering on heresy, lukewarm, weak, arrogant, or passionate for Me and the work I have for them to do. You can pick up a commentary or study the Bible and find out how each letter is connected to the life and location of each congregation. So rather than go over that with you, I want you to read these seven letters several times. Ask the Spirit to help you hear My message for you in My letters to these seven churches. Verses to Live As you read these seven letters, notice how they are alike. Notice how they are different. Notice how I know everything about each congregation and the circumstances that congregation faces. Notice how I emphasize a different characteristic of My identity to each church and how each characteristic is tied to the message I share with them. Then realize this: I know about you and your church — house church, missional community, congregation, or group of believers with whom you meet. I care about what you do and how you live. The decisions you make and how you live My will before your neighbors matter. So find one or two churches in the verses below that seem to have similar problems to your congregation and similar opportunities. Then ask the Holy Spirit to help you apply My words of warning, encouragement, and comfort to your situation — both as an individual disciple and also as a part of the congregation. Letter to Ephesus The One [Jesus the Anointed]: Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Ephesus. “These are the words of the One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One Who walks and moves among the golden lampstands: “I know your deeds, your tireless labor, and your patient endurance. I know you do not tolerate those who do evil. Furthermore, you have diligently tested those who claim to be emissaries, and you have found that they are not true witnesses. You have correctly found them to be false. I know you are patiently enduring and holding firm on behalf of My name. You have not become faint. “However, I have this against you: you have abandoned your first love. Do you remember what it was like before you fell? It’s time to rethink and change your ways; go back to how you first acted. However, if you do not return, I will come quickly and personally remove your lampstand from its place. But you do have this to your credit: you despise the deeds of the Nicolaitans and how they concede to evil. I also hate what they do. “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches. I will allow the one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death to eat from the tree of life found in God’s lush paradise.” Letter to Smyrna The One [Jesus the Anointed]: Write down My
My Patience is Your Salvation!
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. Your prayers are not ignored. My coming is assured. My salvation for you is closer to you now than ever before. My glory is nearer to you today than you can imagine. Yes, your world is a tough place for faith and for My faithful ones. However, remember what I said in My Revelation to John: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:10-11 NIV) Hang in with Me in faith. Hang on with Me in hope. Trust that the Holy Spirit I poured out on you at your baptism (Titus 3:3-7) will strengthen and sustain you (Ephesians 3:14-21). My delay in coming is not because of unconcern or forgetfulness, but My patience is for salvation (2 Peter 3:9-15). Verses to Live Don’t waver in your faith. I am coming. Your job is to be faithful, trusting in the Holy Spirit to fill you and empower you to godliness, faithfulness, and endurance. Yes, I know, the times are evil, and faithfulness can be hard. But, dear child of God, My coming is nearer to you now than when you first believed! And now consider this. You know well the times you are living in. It is time for you to wake up and see what is right before your eyes: for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old dark life and put on the armor of light. May we all act as good and respectable people, living today the same way as we will in the day of His coming. Do not fall into patterns of dark living: wild partying, drunkenness, sexual depravity, decadent gratification, quarreling, and jealousy. Instead, wrap yourselves in the Lord Jesus, God’s Anointed, and do not fuel your sinful imagination by indulging your self-seeking desire for the pleasures of the flesh. (Romans 13:11-14) So be careful how you live; be mindful of your steps. Don’t run around like idiots as the rest of the world does. Instead, walk as the wise! Make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times. So understand and be confident in God’s will, and don’t live thoughtlessly. Don’t drink wine excessively. The drunken path is a reckless path. It leads nowhere. Instead, let God fill you with the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Spirit, you are empowered to speak to each other in the soulful words of pious songs, hymns, and spiritual songs; to sing and make music with your hearts attuned to God; and to give thanks to God the Father every day through the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed for all He has done. And the Spirit makes it possible to submit humbly to one another out of respect for the Anointed. (Ephesians 5:15-21) So, my friends, while we wait for the day of the Lord, work hard to live in peace, without flaw or blemish; and look at the patience of the Lord as your salvation. (2 Peter 3:14-15) Response in Prayer O Father, I want to be found faithful when Jesus comes. I commit to endure and be faithful. I commit to serve Jesus and seek to save the lost as He did. I ask, however, that You strengthen me with your Spirit, galvanize my faith with Your word, and renew my hope each day with the anticipation of Jesus’ return. In His name, I hope, wait, and 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.
In Your Difficulties, What Is Needed Most?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, When life crashes in… when the world is hostile and dangerous… when your faith is under attack… when your life is on the line, what is needed most? You need a clear vision of Me. You need to be reminded of Who I AM, what I have done, and Who I will be for you and with you in the future. That’s why I revealed Myself in a vision to John when he was confined to the island of Patmos because of his faithful service to me (Revelation 1:9). On a special Sunday, John did what he had done on the first day of the week ever since that first Sunday I appeared to him and other disciples after My resurrection (John 20:1-23). Only on this special Sunday, I gave him the “apocalypse”: “the revelation of Jesus the Anointed”! The book you call Revelation is an unveiling, a revealing of Me in My eternal glory. This was My message to John in vision form. It was shared with him to bless My people who were facing very difficult trials and persecutions. They needed to be assured their faith was not in vain. They needed to be assured that evil in its manifested forms, such as political propaganda, military might, and religious perversion, would be destroyed. However, what My people needed most was Me. They needed to know that I cared. They needed to know that I was still at work in history. They needed to know that the future was in My hands. They needed to know that I would act. They needed to know that I was there for them. So that is what I gave them through this revelation of Myself to John. As you read these verses, imagine John on the barren and harsh island of Patmos, separated from the churches and people he loved dearly. Imagine his concerns for these churches brought to Me in prayer on that Sunday morning. Now imagine his overwhelming encouragement to receive this vision, this reminder that I AM still connected to him and to those precious people undergoing persecution and that I AM always at work for their ultimate deliverance. Now try to imagine what he saw — this glorious vision of My glory. Join John and be amazed… reassured… and re-energized for your road ahead. Verses to Live Today’s verses record the beginning of John’s vision. The focus is on My glory. Open your imagination, rekindle your sense of wonder, and join John in the presence of My glory. Remember, even when you do not see Me, I AM… I AM still present… I AM still Lord… I AM still glorious. “I will never leave you or forsake you!” (Hebrews 13:5 NRSV) A Voice: [I am the Alpha and the Omega, the very beginning and the very end.] Make a book of what you see, write it down, and send it to the seven churches [which are in Asia]: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. When I [John] turned around to see what sort of voice this was that was addressing me, I saw seven golden lampstands. And among the lampstands, I saw One like the Son of Man right in front of me dressed in a long robe. Across His chest was draped a golden sash. His head and hair were pure white, white as wool and white as snow; His eyes blazed like a fiery flame; His feet gleamed like brightly polished bronze, purified to perfection in a furnace; His voice filled the air and sounded like a roaring waterfall. He held seven stars in His right hand, from His mouth darted a sharp double-edged sword, and His face shone a brilliant light, like the blinding sun. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet. It was as though I were dead. But He reached down and placed His right hand on me. The One: This is not the time for fear; I am the First and the Last, and I am the living One. I entered the realm of the dead; but see, I am alive now and for all the ages — even ages to come. Amen. I possess the keys to open the prison of death and hades. Now write down all you have seen — all that is and all that will be. Regarding the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the heavenly messengers who preside over the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches themselves. (Revelation 1:11-20) Response in Prayer Lord Jesus, thank You! Thank You for always being the I AM on Whom I can depend. You are glorious, both in Your identity and in Your sacrifice. You are the perfect One to connect heaven’s glory to our earthly struggles. I worship You. I adore You. I am in awe of 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 Apocalypse
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, During the first few decades after the completion of My incarnation on earth, sporadic persecution, seizure of properties, ostracism, prejudice, oppression, and executions were brought against My disciples. These persecutions were not throughout the Roman Empire, but there were several times of intense persecution tied to emperors of Rome. Nero was well known as a persecutor because of his power and time in history, as well as a number of events that happened under his rule. For example, there was the fire in Rome and his distaste for Christians as evidenced by the blaming of Christians for the fire and the subsequent execution of many of My disciples. Near the end of the first century, persecution erupted in Asia Minor connected to a cult that honored the emperor Domitian as “lord and god” — language almost identical to Thomas’ confession of Me after My resurrection (John 20:28). Some even hinted that Domitian was really Nero revived from the dead. Christians in Asia Minor — including in the cities listed at the end of your verses today — faced very difficult circumstances. My followers would call no one “Lord and God” but Me. Yet, any time they went to the market, visited the theater, went to their trade guild meetings, did business with the banks, or met politicians or members of the military in the street, they could be challenged to use those words to describe Domitian. When they refused, they faced severe reprisals as politicians in Asia Minor courted the favor and blessing of Domitian as they did with many emperors. The book of Revelation was written to give My disciples hope and remind them of their ultimate victory in Me. Over the next several days, we complete your journey through the New Testament. Our focus will be this Apocalypse: the message you now know as the book of Revelation. Because of his faith, My beloved disciple, John, was exiled off the coast of Asia Minor on the Isle of Patmos. I gave him this message on a Sunday. It was an unveiling or revelation in vision form that contained My message of encouragement to help the churches in Asia Minor as My precious people were facing hostility and persecution. The apocalyptic images of this book were well known when John wrote down this heavenly vision. The underlying message is pretty straightforward and clear. Unfortunately, this core message has often gotten lost in all the fascination with trying to identify the symbols and apply them to exact events and times in your day. The message basically is that Satan has used evil people to corrupt everything that humanity touches, especially places where humans come to power — for example, in the propaganda of politics, the use of the military, and the perversion of religion. In their corrupted form, the evil one has used these venues to mount pressure and persecution on My church and the people who are part of My family. Human and satanic powers were manipulating political agendas and propaganda, misusing the military, and corrupting religion. All these forces aligned to oppose My message, My church, and My people. The result was that the situation on earth looked bleak and hopeless when John received the Revelation. Yet, if My people remained faithful, they would share in My victory. The prayers of the martyrs and the persecuted were heard in heaven by the Father. The Spirit worked in the affairs of both human history and human powers to remove evil from its thrones of power. I would bring My people ultimate deliverance and victory. This cycle (evil people, alignment of powers, persecution, prayer for deliverance, and liberation) has been repeated down through history. Time is also moving toward an ultimate climax in which I will bring the final and ultimate victory for My church and her people. Evil will be banished. The evil one’s power to inflict hurt, damage, and death on My people will be stopped completely and eternally. The separation of the faithful from the Father’s throne will be removed. My people will enter into Our presence — the presence of the Father, Son, and Spirit. They will enjoy the blessings of unending life with Us in joyful fellowship and celebration. Today, we begin this last part of our year-long journey through the New Testament. Be blessed. Be faithful. Be confident. My resurrection guarantees your victory. My return guarantees your life, and your faithfulness will not be forgotten. My place in glory guarantees your joy will be unending. Verses to Live Read these verses slowly and carefully several times. Let the key words melt into your heart. Read these verses out loud. This is a book, an unveiling of My splendor and glory, that was written for your assurance and as a reminder that no matter when or where you live or how difficult the times, your victory with Me is assured and the evil that opposes and oppresses you won’t last. This is the revelation of Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King: an account of visions and a heavenly journey. God granted this to Him so He would show His followers the realities that are already breaking into the world and soon will be fulfilled. Through His heavenly messenger, He revealed to His servant John signs and insight into these mysteries. John, in turn, gave witness to the word of God and to the glorious truth revealed about Jesus, the Anointed One, the Chosen Ruler, by carefully describing everything he saw. Blessings come to those who read and proclaim these words aloud; blessings come to those who listen closely and put the prophetic words recorded here into practice. The finale is approaching. I, John, to the seven churches in Asia: May you experience God’s favor and rest in the peace that comes from the One Who is, the One Who was, and the One Who is coming; from the seven Spirits, the Perfect Spirit, constantly before God’s throne; and
Glory Awaits!
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, As My apostle Paul’s death grew near, he was confident of his deliverance as well as My return. Hear his beautiful words of faith: For I am already being poured out, and the last drops of this drink offering are all that remain; it’s almost time for me to leave. I have fought the good fight, I have stayed on course and finished the race, and through it all, I have kept believing. I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness that the Lord — the always right and just judge — will give me that day (but it is not only for me, but for all those who love and long for His appearing). (2 Timothy 4:6-8) Glory awaits. A new heaven and a new earth await. Your reward for a life of faithfulness awaits. There will come a time when your suffering will melt away into the glorious deliverance that I will bring you. I will bring justice and comfort for all who have waited patiently and endured injustice, hardship, pain, and anguish for My sake (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). Throughout the centuries since My first coming to earth, My disciples have awaited My triumphant return. I have not forgotten. I will return at the time appointed by the Father (Mark 13:32). I will come, and you will share in My glory because you have placed your faith, your life, and your future in My hands (Colossians 3:1-4). So be faithful. Don’t give in to despair. Remember My promises for those who long for My appearing: At the end of time, I will bring the fullness of My kingdom and the full experience of My glory to My people forever. Your adoption into glory with Me is coming and will bring everlasting grace to you! Verses to Live Your world is struggling with its brokenness and decay. You struggle with your own mortality and the injustice and unfairness in your world. You are tired of saying goodbye in death to precious people you love. If you are bone-weary because of physical, emotional, and spiritual pain, please know, dear beloved, that these problems will all disappear with My return. Glory awaits! Now I’m sure of this: the sufferings we endure now are not even worth comparing to the glory that is coming and will be revealed in us. For all of creation is waiting, yearning for the time when the children of God will be revealed. You see, all of creation has collapsed into emptiness, not by its own choosing, but by God’s. Still He placed within it a deep and abiding hope that creation would one day be liberated from its slavery to corruption and experience the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that all creation groans in unison with birthing pains up until now. And there is more; it’s not just creation—all of us are groaning together too. Though we have already tasted the firstfruits of the Spirit, we are longing for the total redemption of our bodies that comes when our adoption as children of God is complete— for we have been saved in this hope and for this future. But hope does not involve what we already have or see. For who goes around hoping for what he already has? But if we wait expectantly for things we have never seen, then we hope with true perseverance and eager anticipation. (Romans 8:18-25) The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night; and on that day, the sky will vanish with a roar, the elements will melt with intense heat, and the earth and all the works done on it will be seen as they truly are. Knowing that one day all this will come to pass, think what sort of people you ought to be — how you should be living faithful and godly lives, waiting hopefully for and hastening the coming of God’s day when the heavens will vanish in flames and the elements melt away with intense heat. What will happen next, and what we hope for, is what God promised: a new heaven and a new earth where justice reigns. (2 Peter 3:10-13) I looked again and could hardly believe my eyes. Everything above me was new. Everything below me was new. Everything around me was new because the heaven and earth that had been passed away, and the sea was gone, completely. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride on her wedding day, adorned for her husband and for His eyes only. And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne. A Voice: See, the home of God is with His people. He will live among them; They will be His people, And God Himself will be with them. The prophecies are fulfilled: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; Mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more, For the first things have gone away. (Revelation 21:1-4) Response in Prayer O God, my Father, give me strength, courage, endurance, and faith to trust in Jesus’ coming. I long for that day, Father. I trust that justice, mercy, and grace are on the way and will triumph over injustice, violence, and death and that I will share in Jesus’ reign for ever and ever. In His 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.
Strong Words of Warning!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, The verses you will read today contain strong warnings and harsh language for false teachers. These false teachers were leading My followers astray. They were creating havoc in the fellowship meals (“love feasts”) and gatherings of My disciples. These false teachers were self-absorbed and had perverted grace to justify their sinful lifestyles. The first set of verses you read comes from the first part of Jude. These verses are so similar to 2 Peter chapter 2 that I include only Jude’s words for today’s reading. The second set of verses comes from 2 Peter chapter 3. The third set comes from the end of Jude’s short letter. He concludes his letter with praise for the Father. He reminds My disciples that the Father is the only One Who can save them and He will do just that! The short little letter called Jude is best understood more like a “tract for troubled times.” It is an emergency note written with urgency. The second chapter of 2 Peter contains very similar wording: Depraved souls who stand condemned have made a mockery of the grace given to you, using it as a pretext for a life of sinful excess, lived without any thought of God. Both Peter and Jude used images from the Old Testament and also reminded their readers of the punishment the Father brought on rebellious and wanton sinners. These images were written as warnings to My disciples so that they would recognize the gravity of the false teaching and the false teachers who spread it. These false teachers were “dreamers who have slipped in and defiled your community, rejected those in charge, and insulted the glorious majesty of the heavenly messengers.” Jude had intended to send a much happier letter of encouragement centered on the salvation the disciples shared. However, his heart was so troubled by these false teachers that he sent his short message about them instead. Peter had a very similar strong teaching that paralleled Jude’s message as he addressed similar problems. He followed his warning about these false teachers with teaching about the judgment coming on those who are godless and make life difficult for My disciples and lead them astray. He described that coming judgment in terms consistent with the fate of the false teachers described in Jude’s note. I want you to notice the strong language used for those who perverted grace into an excuse for immorality and who “lived without any thought of God.” I also want you to recognize that both of these writers ended their messages with encouragement. They were confident that the Father would continue to work in the lives of My disciples and bring them complete salvation. Until the time they fully experienced salvation, Jude reminded My followers to care for each other. They were to deal with those who had been influenced by the false teachers based on their need and what led them to fall away: [Y]ou must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. (Jude 1:22-23 NLT) Jude’s last words are especially encouraging and helpful. Carefully notice the third set of verses below. They are beautiful, reliable, and very practical. Remember, you cannot save yourself; your salvation depends on the Father’s grace and your trust in Him. Your Father is good. He can and will transform you and bring you to Himself as His pure and holy child. Verses to Live Please read straight through these verses as one continuous reading. I want you to get the flow of the message. Look for the strong language that Peter and Jude used to describe the false teachers. Also, look for the encouragement offered at the end of the second and third sets of verses. I AM confident in good things with you and your faith. But I also want you to be aware that there are false teachers who will try to lead you away from Me. So keep your focus on the Father, walk with Me in the Spirit. Jude, a slave of Jesus the Anointed and a brother of James, to you, the ones whom God our Father loves and has called and whom Jesus, the Anointed One, has kept. Kindness, peace, love — may they never stop blooming in you and from you. Friends, I have been trying to write you about our common salvation. But these days my heart is troubled, and I am compelled to write to you and encourage you to continue struggling for the faith that was entrusted to the saints once and for all. Vile men have slithered in among us. Depraved souls who stand condemned have made a mockery of the grace given to us, using it as a pretext for a life of excess, lived without any thought of God. These poor fools have denied Jesus the Anointed, our one Lord and Master. You have heard the stories many times, and the Spirit has enlightened you about their meaning, but you still need to be reminded. Remember when the Lord saved our ancestors from the land in Egypt? He breathed life into their earthen lungs and took back the life from those who did not believe. And God has kept the rebellious heavenly messengers bound and chained in utter darkness — shadowy gloom — until the time when His judgment arrives, because they failed to keep their rightful positions and abandoned their appointed realms. Sodom and Gomorrah and all their neighbors were defeated by their own sexual perversions as they pursued the strange and unnatural impulses of the flesh. Let these who went their own way and are experiencing the eternal heat of God’s vengeance — a punishment by fire — be a warning to you. These stories are examples to help you understand the fate of those dreamers who have slipped
Peter’s Parting Exhortations
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Disciple, Much as 2 Timothy serves as a farewell message for Paul as he nears the end of his life, 2 Peter plays a similar role for the apostle Peter. He writes this letter to help churches to be able to resist false teachers and to know how to live productive lives of service and faithfulness after he is gone: I want to be certain you will be able to call these things to mind anytime you need them even after I am gone. Your verses today emphasize continued growth — adding this virtue to that virtue and to that virtue another virtue and to another virtue yet one more virtue… As Peter states, continued growth is necessary so that: [Y]ou will never be ineffective or unproductive in your relationship with our Lord Jesus. [Y]ou will never fall along the way; and you can be sure that you will be richly welcomed into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. While each of these virtues from the verses below is important, the commitment to continued growth is especially important, and these virtues that Peter charges the disciples to have will then be byproducts of that continued growth. The Holy Spirit is at work transforming you to become ever more like Me (2 Corinthians 3:18), producing the character and compassion in you that you know as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Paul talked about not having arrived to full maturity, but pressing on to reach it personally (Philippians 3:12-16). Here Peter makes a similar point with My disciples in their own walk toward becoming conformed fully to My “divine nature.” The goal, as Peter states it, is this: [T]o reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One Who called us by His glory and virtue. Through these things, we have received God’s great and valuable promises, so we might escape the corruption of worldly desires and share in the divine nature. So as long as Peter can “draw breath,” he will “keep on stirring you [My disciples] up with these reminders”! As you read these verses, I hope you will feel the urgency in Peter’s words and recognize the importance of not losing your passion for growing to be more and more like Me. The “eternal kingdom” awaits you, so pursue My character and compassion — “the divine nature” — and know with assurance that My glory awaits you! Verses to Live The last words of people before they die are often etched into the memories of their loved ones. Peter is hoping that is exactly what happens with the words of this letter he is sending to My disciples. I have preserved these words for you so that their message can be etched into your memory and displayed in your lives. Their theme is simple and clear: “[G]row in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Simon Peter, a servant and emissary of Jesus the Anointed One, to those who have received the same precious faith we share through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed. I wish you a full measure of grace and peace as you grow in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One Who called us by His glory and virtue. Through these things, we have received God’s great and valuable promises, so we might escape the corruption of worldly desires and share in the divine nature. To achieve this, you will need to add virtue to your faith, and then knowledge to your virtue; to knowledge, add discipline; to discipline, add endurance; to endurance, add godliness; to godliness, add affection for others as sisters and brothers; and to affection, at last, add love. For if you possess these traits and multiply them, then you will never be ineffective or unproductive in your relationship with our Lord Jesus the Anointed; but if you don’t have these qualities, then you will be nearsighted and blind, forgetting that your past sins have been washed away. Therefore, brothers and sisters, work that much harder to confirm that God has called you and claimed you. If you do this, then you will never fall along the way; and you can be sure that you will be richly welcomed into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. That is why I will keep reminding you of these things, even though I know that you believe them and have made these truths a part of your lives; as long as I draw breath, I know it is right for me to keep on stirring you up with these reminders. I know that soon I must die and lay down this old body that’s been my home — our Lord Jesus the Anointed has told me so. But before my exodus from this life, I want to be certain you will be able to call these things to mind anytime you need them even after I am gone. (2 Peter 1:1-15) Response in Prayer Father, life can wear me down and distract me. I can become bored and chase after things that don’t matter much, but that fascinate me. So I thank You for Peter’s words today that urge me to keep growing and pursuing a life that seeks to share in Your “divine nature” by growing in knowledge and in the experience of Your presence and nature. I offer myself afresh today, to be molded and conformed to Jesus, in Whose 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.
Your Broken World
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, The beloved elder John wrote to My disciples because he deeply loved them and wanted them to find eternal life in me. His words to begin 3 John beautifully reveal this part of his heart: I, the elder, to Gaius, who is much loved by all and loved in truth by me. My beloved friend, I pray that everything is going well for you and that your body is as healthy as your soul is prosperous. I was thrilled when the brothers and sisters came and told me stories of your faithfulness as you continue to walk in the truth. The greatest joy in my life is hearing how my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:1-4) Each of John’s three letters at almost the end of your Bibles is short, yet full of practical truth filled with John’s genuine emotional connection to My disciples. John knew that his time was short. He knew the power of the “diabolical one”. He knew that the allure of the corrupted world was pervasive. Like Paul and Peter before him, John left words for My precious disciples urging them to stay on the right path. He warned them about being a stumbling block to others. He wanted them to demonstrate their love for Me in the way they lived. He wanted My disciples to follow My example of obedient love for the Father, compassion for those around Me, and moral purity in My dealings with all people. John urges these disciples to live faithfully through a series of encouragements and warnings that he repeated throughout his short letter of 1 John. As his chosen themes combine and repeat, working their way through his short letter, My beloved disciple gives you the truth on how to live in any age. His simple words serve as a necessary warning about the dangers of falling in love with the broken and sinful world. They remind My disciples of the importance of loving the truth, loving Me, and loving their brothers and sisters. Today you finish your readings in 1, 2, and 3 John. Hear John’s simple but powerful message as My will expressed through this faithful old apostle. Recognize this message as an important reminder preparing you for our coming journey into the book of Revelation. The world around you is broken. There is beauty in the created universe, but everything that humanity has touched has also been stained by sin’s grip on your world. Don’t be deceived by the world’s allure! Remember all that it offers you is temporary. The world can offer only a broken and temporary substitute for the eternal life I have shared with you. Don’t be surprised when the world doesn’t love you when you live for me: Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us — He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way, the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either. (1 John 3:1) Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you. (1 John 3:13) Even more, John doesn’t want you to get caught up in loving the world and being led away from Me. His words are true. His words are your warning. Don’t trade away the life I came to bring you for the temporary, fleeting, and corrupted enticements of the world! Verses to Live Take a few minutes and look up all the times the word “world” is used in John’s writings — the Gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Revelation. The world, corrupted and lost, is a major theme for John. Not loving the things of this world was one of John’s primary concerns. The following verses can help you understand why John had these concerns. Contemplate his words. Heed them. Realize that I came to bring life to you. The underlined sentences at the end of today’s verses point out the contrast between the fleeting, temporary nature of the allures of your world and the eternal life that comes from doing God’s will. All the world’s enticements are really only cheap, fleeting, and shallow substitutes for the true life I long to give you. Don’t fall in love with this corrupt world or worship the things it can offer. Those who love its corrupt ways don’t have the Father’s love living within them. All the things the world can offer to you — the allure of pleasure, the passion to have things, and the pompous sense of superiority — do not come from the Father. These are the rotten fruits of this world. This corrupt world is already wasting away, as are its selfish desires. But the person really doing God’s will — that person will never cease to be. (1 John 2:15-17) Response in Prayer Give me strength, dear Father, to resist the allure of the world. I know in my heart that it is a poor and deadly substitute for the life that You have given me in Jesus. Sometimes, dear Father, the ridicule of those who don’t believe and the enticements of this world do distract me and lead me away from a whole-hearted dedication to you. Please forgive me. Sometimes my losses in this world have captured all of my energy in grief, anger, and confusion. Please strengthen and reclaim me. I know my world is broken, but it is the world I know. So please help me be strong as I keep my eyes on Jesus and seek His life and not the world’s shallow substitutes. It is in His 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 Truth about Sin
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, As God’s child, you need to know that some truth is very basic and very simple. You also need to realize that the evil one, whom John called the “diabolical one,” wants to confuse you. He wants things to appear to be complicated, and he lies to you about what’s important. Some believe him. However, you can tell those who are My disciples, God’s adopted children, and My younger siblings by faith. They live good moral lives full of good deeds, but those who don’t live this kind of life are not My disciples and are not God’s children. You will not live life perfectly. None of the Father’s children, except for Me, ever has or ever will. You will slip into an occasional sin. However, My disciples do not, as John describes it, live “a life of habitual sin.” My disciples, the Father’s children, don’t “persist in sin”: Sin is not their way of life and certainly not their desired way to live. My disciples long to live as I did, dedicated to the Father and reflecting His righteous character and gracious compassion. When they do stumble and sin, they confess it instead of trying to hide it. My sacrifice on the cross cleanses them of their sin (1 John 1:5-10). I don’t want you to sin even one sin because it entraps, damages, and brings with it harsh consequences. However, I will forgive and cleanse you of these unwanted sins. It’s the “habitual” nature of sin and the willingness to “persist” in sin that ultimately reveals the disloyalty to the Father in a person’s heart. If you are struggling alone with your sin, please remember John’s call for you to confess your sins (1 John 1:7-9). That doesn’t mean that you confess them just to the Father or Me. You also need to get the help of another couple of brothers or sisters in the Father’s family to walk alongside you and strengthen you (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Confess your sins to these spiritual partners. You need confidants in the faith who can walk beside you, encourage you, challenge you to live the life you want to live in Me, and help you overcome the power of sin’s allure because it seeks to destroy you (James 1:13-15). No one should want the “moral anarchy” of sin and the damage it brings. As James said: So own up to your sins to one another and pray for one another. In the end, you may be healed. Your prayers are powerful when they are rooted in a righteous life. (James 5:16). Sin will not be your lifestyle because you are God’s child — the Father’s spiritual DNA is alive in you through the Holy Spirit. You have been adopted into My family of grace. So let the true Spirit-transformed you shine through in your daily life! Verses to Live John’s words are simple and clear. Don’t let anyone convince you of anything other than My high standards when it comes to morality. While none of you is perfect, the fruit of a good person’s life shows through in good deeds as well as in an obedient and godly lifestyle. John makes that very clear in the following verses from his short letter of 1 John. You are my little children, so I am writing these things to help you avoid sin. If, however, any believer does sin, we have a high-powered defense lawyer — Jesus the Anointed, the righteous — arguing on our behalf before the Father. It was through His sacrificial death that our sins were atoned. But He did not stop there — He died for the sins of the whole world. We know we have joined Him in an intimate relationship because we live out His commands. If someone claims, “I am in an intimate relationship with Him,” but this big talker doesn’t live out His commands, then this individual is a liar and a stranger to the truth. But if someone responds to and obeys His word, then God’s love has truly taken root and filled him. This is how we know we are in an intimate relationship with Him: anyone who says, “I live in intimacy with Him,” should walk the path Jesus walked. (1 John 2:1-6). So now, my little children, live in Him, so that whenever He is revealed, we will have confidence and not have to hang our heads in shame before Him when He comes. If you know that He is just and faithful, then you also know that everyone who lives faithfully and acts justly has been born into a new life through Him. Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us — He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either. My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now. The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. All those who focus their hopes on Him and His coming seek to purify themselves just as He is pure. Everyone who lives a life of habitual sin is living in moral anarchy. That’s what sin is. You realize that He came to eradicate sins, that there is not the slightest bit of sin in Him. The ones who live in an intimate relationship with Him do not persist in sin, but anyone who persists in sin has not seen and does not know the real Jesus. Children, don’t let anyone pull one over on you. The one doing the right thing is just imitating Jesus, the Righteous One. The one persisting in sin belongs to the diabolical one, who has been all about sin from the beginning. That is
Love Each Other!
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, You are the Father’s child! You are precious! The Father adopted you into Our — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s — family. I paid the purchase price for your adoption. You are a blood-bought and blood-redeemed child of the King of Glory! Despite your lack of perfection, you are a precious child in the Father’s family. So is every other person who is a Christian! The point of these words is simple. We love you. We love all your brothers and sisters in our spiritual family. We expect you to love, accept, help, receive, and value your brothers and sisters as much as you hope We will love, accept, help, receive, and value you. Love one another! Verses to Live John was known for his teaching about love. He taught about the Father’s love for a lost world (John 3:16-17). He proclaimed My love for My disciples as well as My expectation that My disciples will love each other (John 15:12-17). What follows is a collection of verses from 1 John about God’s loving you and your loving each other as brothers and sisters. Read these words. More than reading them, let them linger in your heart and commit to living them. Love one another; not just in words, but from the heart demonstrate love for each other! People will recognize that you are My disciples because of the way you demonstrate My love with each other (John 13:34-35). Not only that, but your love is one way for you to reveal God to your world (1 John 4:12). My loved ones, in one sense, I am not writing a new command for you. I am only reminding you of the old command. It’s a word you already know, a word that has existed from the beginning. However, in another sense, I am writing a new command for you. The new command is the truth that He lived; and now you are living it, too, because the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining among you. Anyone who says, “I live in the light,” but hates his brother or sister is still living in the shadows. Anyone who loves his brother or sister lives in the light and will not trip because his conscience is clear. But anyone who hates his brother is in the darkness, stumbling around with no idea where he is going, blinded by the darkness. (1 John 2:7-11) Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us — He calls us children of God. (1 John 3:1) The central truth — the one you have heard since the beginning of your faith — is that we must love one another. Please do not act like Cain, who was of the evil one. He brutally murdered his own brother. Why would he do something so despicable? Because his life was devoted to evil and selfishness, and his brother chose to do what is right. Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you. We know that we have crossed over from death to real life because we are devoted to true love for our brothers and sisters. Anyone who does not love lives among corpses. Everyone who hates other members of God’s family is a murderer. Does a murderer possess the beautiful life that never ends? No. We know what true love looks like because of Jesus. He gave His life for us, and He calls us to give our lives for our brothers and sisters. If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God’s love lives in him? My little children, don’t just talk about love as an idea or a theory. Make it your true way of life, and live in the pattern of gracious love. (1 John 3:11-18) His command is clear: believe in the name of His Son, Jesus the Anointed, and love one another as He commanded. The one who follows His teaching and walks this path lives in an intimate relationship with God. How do we know that He lives in us? By the gift of His Spirit. (1 John 3:23-24) My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Because of this, the love of God is a reality among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we could find true life through Him. This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins. So, my loved ones, if God loved us so sacrificially, surely we should love one another. No one has ever seen God with human eyes; but if we love one another, God truly lives in us. Consequently God’s love has accomplished its mission among us. (1 John 4:7-12) We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us. God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him. This love is fulfilled with us, so that on the day of judgment we have confidence based on our identification with Jesus in this world. Love will never invoke fear. Perfect love expels fear, particularly the fear of punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love. We love because He has first loved us. If someone claims, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, Whom he has