Matthew 23:9
8 But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. 9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. (WEB)

In Matthew 23, Jesus is talking to His disciples about the religious leaders of the day and their abuse of their spiritual authority. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus very clearly tells His disciples that they are not to misuse their spiritual authority in a like manner.

Instead of striving to be the most powerful or most influential, Jesus called them to take on the posture of a servant. He then reminds them of the upside down Kingdom that they are called to, where the last will be first, the poor will be rich and the weak will be made strong.

In His address about spiritual authority, Jesus tells His disciples that they better not try to be the intermediary between God and man. Instead of taking on the title 'Rabbi', they should defer to Christ as the Great Rabbi and simply point to Him. The same goes for the title 'Master' too.

But Jesus also says in this passage to 'Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.' Was Jesus saying that we should not address our earthly dads as 'father' because of our relationship with our heavenly Father? Absolutely not!

We are called to honor our mothers and our fathers as this is the first one of the ten commandments that comes with a promise. (Ephesians 6:1-3). The Apostle Paul also encourages Timothy to treat older men in the faith as 'fathers' (1 Timothy 5:1). So I don't think it would be consistent in Scripture to say that Jesus was telling His disciples not to acknowledge their natural or spiritual fathers.

I believe what Jesus was saying is that in the same way that we have direct access to Jesus as our Master, we have direct access to our heavenly Father. We do not need an intermediary to get between us and God. Sure we have brothers and sisters who cheer us on and leaders who model what it means to follow Christ, but never, and I say never should any person take the place in our hearts that is reserved for God alone.

My prayer today is that we would all know that we have a Father in heaven who loves it when we come into His presence with boldness. There is no need for us to go through anyone other than Christ to have direct access to our heavenly Dad.

Ephesians 4:4-6
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. (WEB)

John 8:28-29
28 Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” (WEB)

What a beautiful picture of the intimacy shared between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus lived His life in complete dependence on His heavenly Father and plainly declared that He could do nothing of Himself. Everything that Jesus did was to make His Father smile. Jesus lived to please His Dad and to be an exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3).

And Jesus was never alone either. He lived in a constant state of abiding in His Father's presence. Though there were times when He would leave the crowds to go up on a mountain and pray, even at the busiest moments in His ministry, His Father was close by.

As we live our lives today, may we all be aware of the nearness of God to us too! In John 14:23 tells us that He would come and His Father would come, and they both would make their home in our hearts. We are never alone in this life. At the end of the Great Commission, Jesus promised to be with us always, even unto the ends of the earth.

My prayer today is that you wouldn't feel alone in life. I pray that you will feel the nearness of the Godhead in you and around you wherever you go. He hasn't left you alone. He is closer to you than you could possibly imagine. May the Holy Spirit bring a fresh revelation of His nearness to you right now.

Psalm 139:7-10
7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the dawn and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me. (WEB)

John 8:12
Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” (WEB)

Darkness is not an issue when light is present and it cannot co-exist with light. Just go into a dark room and switch the light on and see what happens. Darkness has no choice but to flee in the presence of light. If this is the case in the natural realm, how much more does this apply in the spiritual realm?

In today's Bible reading, Jesus tells us that He is the light of the world. He not only projects light, He is light itself. Often in our struggle with darkness, we tend to focus on trying to rid ourselves of it rather than simply turning the light on. Jesus promises us that anyone who follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

My prayer today is that we would not spend too much of our energy focusing on the dark world that we live in. Darkness is not an issue when light is present, so may we simply fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2) and let His light shine through us.

In Luke 11:34, Jesus tells us that our eyes are the lamp of our body. May each one of us radiate the light and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today and may His light illuminate our path and dispel any shadows that come across our path!

Luke 11:33-35
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness.35 Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness. (WEB)

Matthew 25:34
Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; (WEB)

Today's Scripture verse is just a small portion of a parable that Jesus was telling His disciples. In this parable, Jesus referred to a time of judgment where the 'goats' will be judged and the 'sheep' will be be blessed. Time and space would prevent me from talking about the whole parable today, so I want to focus on verse 34 which is addressed to the 'sheep' in the story.

Who are the sheep in this story? It is those who have received Christ and have been transformed by His life into children of the living God. If you have said 'yes and amen' to Christ in your own life, then the promise in today's reading is for you!

My encouragement to you today is simply this...There is a glorious Kingdom inheritance that was prepared before the foundation of the world for YOU! The truth is that every child of God lives under His blessings and is a full recipient of the family inheritance that our Father prepared for us even before He created the world.

No matter how difficult life is this side of heaven, we have a promise of an eternal inheritance. My prayer today is that each one of us would be strengthened by the thought that we live our lives (today and throughout eternity) under the blessings of our heavenly Dad. He has prepared a place for us in His heart that will last forever! May this truth give us perspective especially when we go through difficult times here on earth.

John 14:1-3
1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also. (WEB)

Deuteronomy 31:7-8
7 Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous: for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 Yahweh, he it is who does go before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.” (WEB)

There are many times in the Bible where we are encouraged to not be afraid and be of good courage. This is one of those examples where Moses passes on the leadership baton to Joshua, encouraging him to not be afraid of the big task at hand.

The reason that Moses was encouraging Joshua not to be afraid was probably because Joshua was afraid. When we are in an overwhelming situation, it is the most natural thing in the world to struggle with fear. It is not being afraid that is the problem, but it is what we do in the face of fear that matters.

Moses didn't guarantee Joshua that there wouldn't be giants along the way that would be obstacles to victory. All he told Joshua was that God would go before him and be with him, every step of the way. He went on to say that Yahweh would never fail or forsake him either.

The reason why Joshua could be strong and courageous was not because he was trusting in his own ability to lead the nation of Israel into the promised land. The reason that he could be fearless was simply because of the greatness of his God and all of Yahweh's precious promises.

My prayer today is that each one of us would be strong and courageous in the midst of all of the challenges we are facing. Not because we have the ability to manage life on our own, but simply because we have a Father and an elder brother who have promised to be with us wherever we go. May we all have a deeper sense of the abiding presence of the Godhead in our being as we take the promised land set before us.

Luke 12:32
Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. (WEB)

John 16:23-24
23 “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. (WEB)

In today's Bible reading, Jesus is telling His disciples that a time was soon coming when they would no longer ask Him questions. Jesus was pointing to the time when all who believed in Him would have direct access to His Father in His name.

Of course, praying 'in the name' of Jesus, is not primarily about just saying 'in Jesus' name' at the end of our prayers. Praying in the name of Jesus is all about us being completely and fully united with Christ so much so that when we pray to our Father, we are praying in the very person of Jesus Christ Himself.

In John 14:6, Jesus told us... I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. (WEB). Jesus is our very access to our heavenly Father. It is in Jesus and through Jesus that we can ask our Father directly. And Jesus wants us to ask because He wants us to receive directly from His Dad so that we would be full of joy.

My prayer today is that we would all know that our elder brother has made a way for all of us to have direct access to our Father. May we know that it brings delight to our Father's heart to hear our prayers and to answer our prayers as well. He wants us to be full of joy knowing that He knows what we need even before we ask (Mathew 6:8). May we all have a new boldness in our hearts, knowing that we have access to our Father in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. 15 For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need. (WEB)

John 10:31-32
31 Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” (WEB)

Every good work that Jesus did on earth originated in His Father's heart. Every miracle He performed, every child He blessed, every sinner He set free... all were expressions that came from heaven. The very thought that Jesus was the Son of God absolutely enraged the religious leaders of the day and it was His relationship with His Dad that was the reason they wanted to kill Him.

If Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing, then God the Father must be as loving and as servant hearted as God the Son. You would think in light of all that Jesus modelled to us about His Father, every believer would gladly run into their Abba's arms. But unfortunately that is not the case.

Over the centuries, the Fatherheart of God has been misrepresented by depicting Him as an angry old man in the sky or as a wrathful judge. He is the complete opposite of these depictions that we often see in the renaissance paintings. The truth is, that our heavenly Dad is the kindest, most loving Father in the universe! The truth of the gospel is that Jesus came to show us what His Father was really like and to do His good works.

My prayer today is that each one of us would be a manifestation of the good works of our Father in all that we do. The more we are conformed into the image of Jesus, the more we are conformed into the image of our Father. May the Holy Spirit that lives within us bear witness to this amazing truth. May we all rise up into our destinies and do the good works that our Father planned for us to do before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. (WEB)

John 14:30-31
30 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here. (WEB)

In today's passage of Scripture, Jesus tells His disciples that the prince of the world (Satan) would soon come and the good news was he had nothing in Jesus. He had no hooks that would be able to connect him to Jesus in any way. Though Jesus suffered as a man and endured temptation, He never yielded and was the only person to ever be completely blameless and without sin.

It was for this reason alone, that Jesus could be the once and for all sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Through His death on a cross, He defeated death, sin and the devil. Through His resurrection, He made the way for all of us to be reconciled to God our Father.

Now because of this glorious atonement, we have been made one with Jesus Christ and declared righteous in the sight of Father God. As the Apostle Paul declared in Galatians 2:20...  I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. (WEB)

While it is a reality that we still live our lives in fallible flesh, the truth is that we have been bought with a price and we now belong to God. The prince of this world has nothing in us any longer for we belong to Christ! Our spirit has been made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit that has taken up residence in us.

Though we do sin at times, our identity is no longer 'sinner' but 'saint'. My prayer today is that we would know in the depths of our hearts that we are new creations in Christ. Though the accuser of the brethren continues to rail against us, he has nothing in us!

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. (WEB)

Psalm 37:29-31
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide. (WEB)

What a wonderful promise for the righteous... They will ultimately inherit the land and live in it forever! The fallen world that we live in often presents many challenges to us. The principles of the kingdom of God are definitely not how the spirit of the world operates. In fact, our broken world system is often in direct opposition to the purposes of our God and Father.

If we keep our eyes focused on the temporal, we may find that we are discouraged. However, if we can keep our eyes fixed on the eternal, we can be comforted in knowing that at the end of all things, those who have been made righteous by Jesus Christ will inherit the land.

My prayer today is that Holy Spirit would give us the grace to be able to see past our present circumstances and change our gaze to the eternal. In the book James, it says that life is but a vapor. Even 100 years is simply like a blink of an eye in comparison to eternity. So no matter what you are going through today, know that it will not endure. Your destiny is to inherit the land and live in it forever!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; 18 while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (WEB)

John 13:3
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, and was going to God, (WEB)

I love this passage of Scripture. To set the backdrop to today's Bible reading, this took place during the Passover Supper, the night before Jesus would be crucified. Today's verse precedes Jesus washing His disciples' feet. Let's read the whole text from John 13:1-5...

1 Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, and was going to God, 4 arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (WEB)

Because our Elder Brother knew where He came from and where He was returning to, He was completely secure in His own identity. And that identity was that of the only begotten of the Father. Because He was loved from before the creation of the world, He could gladly take on the form of the lowest servant and wash His disciples' feet.

It is amazing the freedom that comes when we know where we came from and where we are going to. When we know we are loved by Almighty God, it is no longer our actions that define us. When we know we are loved beyond anything that we could imagine, we can be free to focus on the needs of others.

My prayer today is that we would all know how deeply the Father loves us. I pray that we would all be rooted and grounded in His love so that we could be a reflection of His love and humility in all that we do. Not because we have to, but simply because we choose to.

1 John 3:1
Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. (WEB)