…lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God….
— 2 Timothy 3:4

It can seem a little heavy when we’re reading Paul’s list of characteristics of society in the last days, especially when the Greek words he used in that text are expounded on and looked at more deeply, as we are doing in these series of Sparkling Gems. But one thing is sure: The Holy Spirit did not inform us of these details so we would be worried or afraid and hide from the world. He forewarned us of these things in advance so we could spiritually reinforce ourselves to live victoriously and free until Jesus returns!

The Holy Spirit considers it important for us to know these things in advance, or He wouldn’t have dedicated so much time and space to this subject. That’s why we must give heed to His words and study them out fully so we can grasp their meanings to the greatest extent possible.

As Paul continued to bring illumination regarding events that will occur in society in the last days, he next wrote that people will become “lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” Let’s delve deeply into these words and phrases today to see what gems of truth we can extract from the Greek that will broaden our understanding.

The words “lovers of pleasure” are a translation of the Greek word philodonos, which is a compound of two words, phileo and hedonos. The first word, phileo, is a well-known word that conveys the ideas of affection and love. It can denote an affection so deep that it even embraces the idea of romance and is from the same root word that means to kiss.

Frequently in the Greek language, the word phileo is compounded with other words to form new meanings, as it is with the word philodonos. The following are examples:

• Philadelphos: You may recognize this word because it is where we get the name of the great city of Philadelphia on the east coast of the United States. It is actually a New Testament word that is a compound of the words phileo and adelphos. The word phileo means to deeply, profoundly, and affectionately love, while the word adelphos is the Greek word for a brother. When compounded, they form the word philadelphos, which means brotherly love.
• Philosophia: The word philosophia is a compound of the words phileo and sophos. As noted, the word phileo means to love or to have a deep, profound affection. The word sophos is the word for wisdom. When these two words are compounded, they form the word philosophia. This is where we get the word philosophy, which describes a deep and profound love of wisdom.
• Philoxenos: The word philoxenos is a compound of the words phileo and xenos. The second part of this word is xenos, which is the ancient Greek word for a stranger or foreigner. When the words phileo and xenos are compounded, they form the word philoxenia, a word that expresses the idea of a person who has a special love for strangers or love for foreigners.
• Philostorgos: The second part of this word is storgos — the Greek word for a commitment or devotion to one’s family. When the words phileo and storgos are compounded, the new word depicts a person who has a deep affection and sense of commitment for his family.
• Philanthropia: In this word, the word phileo is compounded with the word anthropos, the word for mankind or humankind. The word anthropos is where we get the word anthropology or an anthropologist. But when the Greek word phileo is compounded with the word anthropos, it depicts a love for humanity. From this, we get the word philanthropist, which describes a wealthy person who generously gives his resources or money for the betterment of humanity.
• Philarguria: Here we see the word phileo compounded with the word arguria. The word arguria is the old word for silver or money. When arguria is compounded with phileo, the new word philarguria depicts a love of silver or an affection and love of money.

In Second Timothy 3:4, Paul compounded the word hedonos with the word phileo to tell us people in the last days will become “lovers of pleasure.” Because the word phileo means to have a deep, profound love and can convey the notion of a romantic preoccupation, this emphatically forecasts that people in the last days will be preoccupied with and in love with the pleasure and the pursuit of happiness. But let’s look deeper at the word hedonos to get the full picture!

The word hedonos is only used five times in the New Testament, and each time, it conjures up the picture of people completely preoccupied with pleasure and who live for the gratification of their flesh and their own personal happiness. The English Dictionary says “hedonism” is the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good; addiction to and obsession for pleasure as a way of life. Paul used the Greek word philodonos to say that society in the last days will become “lovers of pleasure” or that they will become preoccupied and obsessed with the pursuit of their own comfort, pleasure, and happiness.

The truth is, there has never been a generation in history with more material goods or comfort than this present generation. Yet despite this glut of goods and pursuit of pleasure, the worldwide happiness index is the lowest on record, especially in the industrialized world where material goods abound.

It is very clear that self-centered living does not produce happiness. In fact, the highest rating on the happiness index is in developing Third World nations where goods are scarcer, but where commitment to “one’s personal faith” is higher.

There is no doubt about it! Because Paul used the word philodonos — which means “lovers of pleasure” — he was emphatically declaring that people in the last days will be obsessed with pleasure.

It is unfortunate that even Christians are often obsessed with comfort and pleasure to such an extent that they don’t want to be asked to do anything that would inconvenience them. But this should not be the case.

Here’s the bottom line: God is more concerned about your obedience than He is about your happiness. Happiness is fleeting, but obedience to God and His Word produces a long- term joy that is unaffected and unwavering.

A doctrine has permeated the Church in recent years that says God wants them to be happy above all else. Such teaching ignores the fact that the Gospel frequently calls for us to die to ourselves, to deny ourselves, and to even pick up our cross and carry it (see Luke 9:23). Obeying this call of God to pick up our cross and carry it means that we will often be required to take the road of sacrifice — to humble ourselves and even lay down our “rights” for the sake of others.

This errant doctrine that we are entitled to be “happy” erroneously leads people to avoid any decision or take any action that inconveniences their schedule, plans, or comfort. This is ultimately a doctrine of selfishness that justifies self-focus and non-service. Yet if we obey the demands put forth by the Gospel, these demands will make our flesh suffer — for in order for us to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, it will necessitate that we mortify the deeds and demands of the flesh.

But according to Paul’s words in Second Timothy 3:4, the pursuit of “happiness” will become the chief goal of people at the end of this age. Of course, God wants us to be satisfied in life, but that which Paul wrote about in this verse is far beyond that. It was a prophetic declaration that people in the last days will become completely consumed with themselves and that their own happiness will drive them to unequaled selfishness.

Second Timothy 3:4 says this love of pleasure will even supersede love for God. No one would ever claim to love pleasure more than God, but as my mother told me when I was growing up, a person’s actions speak louder than his words. A person’s actions always reveal the truth about what he or she loves most. This verse tells us that love of pleasure will become so widespread that people will be more devoted to their own pleasure and pursuit of happiness than they are in love with God.

Paul wrote that people will be lovers of pleasure “more than” lovers of God. The words “more than” are a translation of the Greek word mallon, which draws a drastic comparison between two points, denoting something that is extremely different in comparison to something else.

In context, this means people will be excessive lovers of pleasure — much, much more than they are lovers of God. In fact, their desire for their own pleasure will be so great that it will far surpass their devotion, respect, and service to God. In the last days, people’s thinking will not be ruled by what is morally right or morally wrong or what is pleasing or displeasing to God, but by the question: How will this decision or action affect my own personal comfort, pleasure, or happiness?

God is not against our being blessed or enjoying nice possessions, as long as we hold them in our hands and don’t allow them into our hearts. But when the acquisition of possessions becomes an obsession and takes first place in our lives, thereby affecting our obedience to God and His Word, it is wrong. In fact, it has become a form of idolatry. We have crossed a line that is a serious violation in the eyes of God.

The words “lovers of God” in Greek is the word philotheoi. The first part of this word is phileo, and as noted earlier, it means to love or to be deeply affectionate. The second part of the word is word theos, the Greek word for God. But when these two words are compounded, as Paul does in this verse, the new word pictures people who are deeply and profoundly in love with God.

Jesus said that at the end of the age, people would be preoccupied with buying, selling, etc. This will be the condition of the unbelievers in the last days, but it does not have to be our condition. Especially as we draw near to the coming of Jesus, we must do everything we can to guard our hearts and keep them free from selfishness and greed. We must focus on Jesus and keep our priorities aligned with His Word.

Soon everything in this world will pass away, and only those things that were done for Jesus will remain. In light of this awesome truth, it is imperative that we examine our hearts to determine our real spiritual condition. If we find areas that need improvement, the Holy Spirit will help us correct those areas that are out of sync with Him!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, it is very clear that self-centered living does not produce happiness. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been commanded to live according to the law of love — and love does not seek its own. Father, I repent right now for each time I have been more focused on doing what resulted in convenience for me rather than doing what produced obedience to You. Today I make a fresh commitment to deny myself, to pick up my cross, and to follow Jesus Christ as my Lord and example in all things. Holy Spirit, I ask You to open the eyes of my understanding and teach me how to truly seek first Your Kingdom and not my comfort, to pursue Your holy ways instead of temporal pleasures.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that nothing may surpass my devotion, respect, and service to God. I purpose in my heart that my thoughts and actions will reflect a sanctified heart that desires to please God rather than to gratify self-indulgent preferences for personal comfort or gain. I choose to be conformed to Jesus Christ and not to the culture of the world around me. I put first things first and establish my priorities based on what will honor God, build His Kingdom, strengthen His Church, and ransom lost souls for whom Christ died.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. The Bible says people will become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. It is possible, then, that they love God, but they love pleasure and self-gratification more than they love Him. Have you considered what dominates your own thoughts, desires, and pursuits? In light of your answer to that question, which do you love more — God or pleasure?
2. Can you think of ways that entertainment has found its way into the local church so that people come to church more for entertainment than for God? What would happen if this entertainment factor was suddenly eliminated? What do you think would happen to church attendance?
3. It is easy to point a finger at others, but what is the Holy Spirit saying to you about this Sparkling Gem today?

Intellectual Power Alone Is Not Sufficient To Do the Job

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
— 1 Corinthians 2:1,2

After Paul was finished preaching to the intellectual leaders in Athens, he left the city feeling disappointed and sad. He preached in the great amphitheater on Mars Hill to a packed audience of intellectual pagans who yearned to hear his strange message about resurrection from the dead (see Acts 17:22).

In his sermon, Paul did everything perfect from a cultural standpoint. He used an idol from their city as an example of his message — something that showed them honor and surely must have gotten their attention (see Acts 17:23). He quoted their poets and philosophers (Acts 17:28), reaching out to them with their own culture and proving that he was a man of learning, worthy of addressing such an intellectual audience. With this mixture of culture, brain power, and the Word, Paul attempted to reach the leaders in Athens.

From a natural standpoint, Paul’s message was brilliant. Seminaries, schools of theology, and Bible school instructors would applaud any student who preached a message as exceptional as Paul’s sermon was that day. The message is a superb example for missionaries who invade new cultures as they preach the Gospel in the farthest extremes of the world. It excels at demonstrating how to use culture to reach a group that has never heard the Gospel before.

Yet when Paul finished preaching that day and the meeting was dismissed, the results of his masterpiece were dismal and depressing. The Bible says, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter” (Acts 17:32). After the meeting, it appears that a group of people stayed in Paul’s company, of which a small, unspecified number became believers (v. 34).

When Paul walked out of Athens on the road to Corinth, he must have thought about what happened in Athens. Why weren’t more saved? How could they walk out mocking after such a masterful message was preached? It was the perfect sermon — the right mix of brains, culture, and the Word — so why hadn’t it produced a better effect? As he pondered on these questions, he came to a conclusion! That conclusion is contained in First Corinthians 2:1-4.

In verse 1, Paul writes to the Corinthians, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.” Paul had nothing against excellency of speech, wisdom, or brain power, but in Athens he had taken a purely intellectual approach to preaching, and he was less than satisfied with the results. Afterward, Paul determined that he would never again lean entirely upon the power of his intellect to accomplish the job of preaching.

Athens was a very religious city (see Acts 17:22) in which pagan religions and temples filled with the supernatural were in abundant supply. For instance, Athens had the Temple of Dionysius, a temple where prophecies and supernatural manifestations were regularly heard and witnessed. Athens also had the famous Temple of Asklepios. This was a temple where people came to be supernaturally healed by the Greek god of healing, whose image had a serpent wrapped around his legs. There were many other temples in Athens where supernatural occurrences were reported. These supernatural events were seen to be the proof that these religions were true.

Because of this, the Athenians didn’t just intellectually believe their religions; they had seen supernatural proof that made them believe. Although the supernatural activities in these temples were demonic, it was nevertheless real supernatural activity.

Thus, Paul’s mistake in Athens was that he forgot to demonstrate the supernatural! In a city like that, it wasn’t enough to come with words only. If the Athenians were ever to believe in Jesus, it was essential to preach the Gospel with the power of signs and wonders following.

If you carefully read Acts 17, you will find this is the one element that was missing from Paul’s message. So as he approached Corinth — another very religious city — Paul resolved that he would never again make the mistake of preaching without supernatural signs and wonders. This is why he said, “And my speech and my preaching [to the Corinthians after Paul left Athens] was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).

The word “enticing” is the Greek word peitho, which means to persuade, to entice, or to convince. However, this word also carries the notion of craftily trying to coax someone to believe. In addition, it expresses the idea of someone who is trying to sweet-talk a person into taking some type of action. Apparently, Paul looks upon his ministry in Athens as a futile attempt to intellectually sweet-talk the Athenian intellectuals into faith. Because it failed so miserably, he declares he will never do it again!

He writes that he will never again try to entice a crowd with “man’s wisdom.” The word “wisdom” is the Greek word sophos — the word for wisdom that is attained naturally. Although this kind of wisdom is respected, rare, and honored in society, it is nonetheless insufficient to produce the power that is needed for the preaching of the Gospel.

In conclusion, Paul declares that from henceforth he will preach with a “…demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (v. 4). The word “demonstration” comes from the Greek word apodeiknumi — a word that indisputably refers to something that is outwardly seen or something visible that authenticates, proves, and guarantees the message to be true. It means to display or even to show off.

When preaching to a crowd like this, it was mandatory to do it with the vindicating power of supernatural signs and wonders. Because this was a society dominated by superstition and demonic activity, the people needed supernatural proof to authenticate the fact that God was behind the message being preached to them. This demonstration of power would get their attention more than anything else. Their thinking was similar to that of Nicodemus in John 3:2, when he told Jesus: “…Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

From that point onward, Paul determined to have a supernatural ministry. No, he didn’t abandon his brains, nor did he stop using culture to help him connect to the hearts of the people. But Paul never again preached without the authority of signs and wonders to verify that he was God’s man and that the message he preached was God’s message. All those who saw the mighty “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” that operated through Paul in his ministry knew that God was speaking to them!

As you share Jesus with your friends, family, fellow employees, or acquaintances, you should certainly present the Gospel in an intellectual format that can be easily understood. But don’t be remiss and forget that the supernatural working power of the Holy Spirit is available to confirm the message you are telling your friends, family, and acquaintances. If you’ve made the mistake of trying to present the Gospel only through the power of your intellect, you now have an opportunity to repent and ask the Holy Spirit to come alongside to help you do a better job!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to tell You that I am sorry for the many times I’ve tried to present the Gospel to others in the power of my intellect and flesh, failing to let the Holy Spirit confirm the Word with signs following. I have been timid and shy about moving in the power of God, but I know it’s time for me to push that timidity aside. To the best of my ability and with sincerity of heart, I am telling You today that I want Your Gospel-proving power to flow through me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that I am not timid or afraid! God wants to pour His power through me, and I am receptive and open to His using me in this wonderful way. People need the power of God, and God wants to use me to bring His miraculous touch into their lives. I am bold and confident — and I am growing bolder and more confident every day!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever felt that your presentation of the Gospel to unbelievers lacked power?

2. Is there a reason you are timid about letting the Holy Spirit and His gifts work through you when presenting the Gospel to unbelievers? If yes, what is that reason, and what steps do you need to take to start getting rid of this fear?

3. What kind of difference do you honestly think it would make if signs and wonders accompanied you every time you spoke the Gospel to people who are unsaved? For instance, do you think that a supernatural healing of their sick bodies would get their attention more quickly?

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be… heady, high-minded….
— 2 Timothy 3:1,2,4

Many years ago, Denise and I took our sons to Rome for a study tour of the ancient world with a special emphasis on early Christian history. As we stood inside the great Roman Coliseum, we listened as our doctoral guide spoke to us at length about the barbarism and atrocities that were so loved and cheered by the Roman citizens who packed that great stadium nearly 2,000 years ago.

You’re familiar with the scenes I’m referring to — gladiators fighting one another to the death and wild animals ripping people limb from limb, devouring them before the leering gaze of a bloodthirsty crowd. Most of us have seen such scenes in various movies at some point in our lives. Who could ever forget the movie Spartacus or Gladiator in which barbarians mercilessly killed each other as the Roman audience roared with delight!

But the fact is that these bloody events did not occur only in the city of Rome. Violent entertainment occurred in every place where the Roman Empire was established. From Rome to the northern shores of Africa, from Britain to the Middle East, scenes of violence were regularly performed and enjoyed as entertainment by adoring crowds who erupted with thrilled delight at the sight of human blood. The shedding of blood was the most popular form of amusement of that time! Although the Romans claimed to be the great educators and civilizers of the world, the truth is that in many ways, they were barbaric.

Today we look back at the Romans and wonder how they could have tolerated such barbarism. Their ancient ruins stand as memorials of a society that ran amuck with murder and brutality. It’s amazing to realize that at the time when these enormous stadiums were packed with people cheering on such atrocities, the Holy Spirit foretold that a time at the end of the Church Age would come when violence would once again become a mainstream occurrence in society.

In Second Timothy 3:4, the Holy Spirit pointed His finger toward the future and prophesied that in the last days, violence would become more widespread and worse than it had ever been — even more depraved than the events that occurred in the Roman Empire. Paul wrote that society would become “heady” in the last days. The word “heady” is a poor translation of the Greek word propetes, a term used to depict people so wholly given to violence that they become known for their violent, reckless behavior and hot-headed, emotional intemperance that exhibits a lack of self-control. Based on this word, it is clear that the Holy Spirit was prophesying of a time when members of society in general would fully embrace violence and lose their ability to control their tempers.

Since the Holy Spirit chose the word protetes to describe a last-days generation, I want to ask you: Is this current generation known for violence and intemperance? When history looks back at our time, what will they write about us? We remember the Romans for the violence that filled their stadiums. But how will history remember our generation and our own forms of entertainment and what we tolerate as society in terms of violence against its weakest members?

Was the Holy Spirit correct to forecast that violence in the last days would be more widespread than at any other time in human history? Of course, we know that He is the Spirit of Truth, and He predicts the future with absolute precision and accuracy. So, of course, the answer to that question is yes!

Unfortunately, it is true that our present generation is the most violent generation in human history. It has far surpassed the Romans with its love of bloodshed that now dominates movies, television, music, video games, and the Internet. This is a generation that feeds on violence and is, not surprisingly, experiencing increasing levels of actual violence in every facet of society.

Because the Holy Spirit prophesied this trend toward increasing violence, He clearly felt it was important for us to be informed about these things before they happen. The Holy Spirit said that society in the last times would be “heady” — protetes, meaning violent or known for violence.

One need only look at the violence in the media today to see how accurate the Holy Spirit was in His predictions about the last days. The percentage of households containing multiple televisions and computers is at an all-time high. It is therefore not surprising that the potential for violent words and images coming into those homes from the outside is also exponentially rising along with an increasing thirst for violence in every form of media.

By the age of 18, the average young person will have seen hundreds of thousands of acts of violence on television. This doesn’t include the thousands of hours of secular music he or she will listen to. Since much of this music is violence-related, it means that words and ideas concerning acts of violence are being poured into the minds of teenagers. Studies have shown that such music may be a significant marker for substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, suicide risk, other tendencies to anger and violence, and alienation from healthy, formative relationships.

We know biblically that it’s true: Whether positively or negatively, what a person continually sees and listens to will directly affect him in his soul, in his spiritual life, and in his walk with God. And the company a person keeps will affect him spiritually and influence the way he views God and others. Thus it stands to reason that while a person is isolating himself from good relationships that are formative in a beneficial way, he is connecting himself to wrong relationships that can cause him to be malformed socially and emotionally.

Literally hundreds of studies on the effects of television and film violence have been done in recent decades — and the majority of these studies have reached the same conclusion: Television and film violence leads to real-world violence. One expert on child behavior concluded that to argue against this conclusion is like arguing against gravity. I agree with this.

Violent video games also have an effect on children and youth similar to that of violent television and film. Studies reveal that the more often children practice fantasy, virtual acts of violence on video games, the more likely it becomes that they will carry out real-world acts of violence. These violent games have been compared to simulators used in military training. Players — often very young children — are cast in the roles of shooters, earning points and commendations for each “ kill.” Consequently, children are being conditioned to expect violence to produce a corresponding reward.

Youth today are also exposed to violent words and actions online — in music and images on hundreds of websites that are created to foster bigotry and violence and to glamorize bloodshed. Music lyrics have become increasingly explicit concerning sex, drugs, murder, and violence against women. The accessibility to online sources of violence has become so vast, it is nearly impossible for parents to monitor what their children see and hear in this digitized age.

I’ve shared only some of the effects of violence in the media on our children and youth. I didn’t even talk about these violent effects on the rest of society — the impact this exposure and influence is having on the increase in crime overall.

The fact is, this is the most violent generation that has ever lived. We may not fill a stadium to watch actual murders as the Romans did, but we are every bit as barbaric. In fact, this modern barbarism is even worse than the Romans. Think how desensitized the soul of society has become to think it normal to watch a movie filled with murder and bloodshed — or listen to music focused on violence — in the comfort of our own homes with our family and friends. Each one of us must ask ourselves, Is this normal?

Although the facts I’ve shared here are dismal, take courage and remember that as the world gets darker, Isaiah 60:1 prophesies that the glory of the Lord rises and shines on those who walk with Him. This is not the time to retreat and hide. It’s the time to charge full-steam ahead to rescue the perishing and care for the dying! Those without Christ need to see His light shining through us!

If you are among those who find violence entertaining, I want to tell you that I am not writing this to condemn you, but rather to encourage you to take a good look at your soul and ask yourself: Have I become influenced and affected by the world in these last days?

What about your children? Do you allow them to watch acts of violence in the media, forgetting the effects it has on their souls in their minds and emotions? Do you really want your children to watch and listen to endless hours of bloodshed? If you will listen to the Holy Spirit, you will hear His voice pleading with you to turn off that violence so you and your children can maintain hearts free from the desensitizing decay of the world in these last days.

In connection with this, it must be pointed out that the apostle Paul next wrote that society will be “high-minded” — a word that is very important at this juncture. The word “high- minded” is a translation of the Greek word typhoo, which is where we get the word typhoon. When a typhoon comes, it covers the entire landscape and arrives with destructive winds. As it approaches, the sky looks ominous and foreboding, turning dark and turbulent. When the storm arrives on shore, everyone in close proximity is affected, except for those who fled from the storm or took adequate shelter.

As dangerous and destructive as typhoons are, the good news is, they never last long! They are short-lived and eventually pass! Likewise, the events that the Holy Spirit is describing may seem overwhelming as you read about them. But right in the middle of the text, He reminds us that none of this will last long. Just as a typhoon passes, these events will also pass. Those who have taken shelter in Jesus will be safe from the destruction that “lays waste” in the unbelieving world around us (see Psalm 91:6 NKJV)! All of this will eventually pass away!

An interpretive translation of these words in Second Timothy 3:4 could be taken to mean:

“People will be preoccupied with and known for their violence, but all of this will pass. Just as a storm appears on the horizon and brings destruction with it, these violent winds in society will not last long. As threatening as it may look, it will pass just as surely as storms always pass….”

In light of what the Holy Spirit has warned us about in this verse and our need to find shelter in Jesus and His Word, I want to remind you what the Bible tells us about Lot. Lot was a righteous man who was tortured in his soul because of his habitual seeing and hearing wrong things. Second Peter 2:8 says, “For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.”

The word “vexed” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word basinadzo, which means to torture. You see, when Lot first moved to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the evil sights he saw in those cities were a torture to his soul. But because he dwelt among them and saw their sinful deeds from day to day, after a period of time his soul was no longer tortured. In “seeing and hearing” their unlawful deeds “from day to day,” his righteous soul became desensitized, and he acclimated to that evil environment. He completely lost his spiritual sensitivity because of the images that became so commonplace to him.

What a lesson the story of Lot teaches us! Especially in these last days when violence abounds, we must set a guard and stay vigilant regarding what we see and hear. The scenes and sounds we allow to enter our eyes and ears have the ability to either save us or desensitize our souls.

I encourage you to lovingly set down rules not only for your children, but also for yourself in order to guard your family’s eyes and ears against messages of violence. If your hearts become hardened or desensitized by wrong images and messages, it will eventually have an impact on every part of your life. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” The New Living Translation says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

There is nothing more important than the condition of your heart and soul — so take every measure you possibly can to avoid the spiritual desensitization moving across the globe like an epidemic in these last days. Above all, make sure that you fellowship with Jesus every day in the Word and in prayer. Nothing will help you more to stay sensitive and responsive to His heart in the midst of this violence-loving generation!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I am deeply convicted by what I have read today. I admit that I have allowed myself to watch movies and listen to messages that are detrimental to my relationship with You. I didn’t mean to do wrong, but now I understand how damaging it is to permit wrong images to enter my soul. Holy Spirit, I am sure that I have grieved You by watching wrong images and listening to words and messages that You find foul, so today I repent. I ask You to please forgive me for grieving You, and I ask You to help restore my soul from any desensitizing effect that these things have had on me. I don’t want to be like Lot who became desensitized by the things he saw and heard, so I am asking You to help me do what is right and to turn away from all contaminating influences that have the power to negatively affect my spirit and soul.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I acknowledge my responsibility to watch over my own soul, and I will not permit the filth of this world or the violence so accepted in society today to tarnish God’s work in my life. God wants my spirit to be sensitive, tender, and compassionate, but the constant images of violence dulls that sensitivity. Therefore I make the decision to turn off and walk away from any bombardment of images and sounds that will affect the spiritual sensitivity I need to be effective in this world for Jesus Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will do everything I can to make sure that no vile thing enters my eyes or my ears!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you noticed how scenes and stories of violence now fill television and movie screens? Does it grieve your spirit and hurt your soul to watch such things or have you, like Lot, become so acclimated to what you see and hear that it no longer affects you?
2. If the Holy Spirit has spoken to you today to stop tolerating such scenes and messages, what action are you going to take to obey Him? What steps is the Holy Spirit asking you to take to free yourself or your family from these soul-desensitizing images?
3. If you take an honest look at your movie cabinet in your home, how many of your films would Jesus be willing to watch with you? Since He lives in your heart by His Spirit, and you don’t want to offend Him, would you be willing to “clean house” and remove those things that hurt Him and wound your own spirit?

…fierce, despisers of those that are good.…
— 2 Timothy 3:3

The material I am about to present concerns a subject that I normally wouldn’t write about. However, it provides a powerful illustration of the depravity Paul prophesied would occur during the last days (see 2 Timothy 3:2,3), and I believe it serves as a wakeup call to the Church. Sometimes we need a stark reminder of the rapid degeneration of society’s moral fabric that is occurring all around us at an ever-increasing rate so we don’t grow complacent and just “go with the flow” of society’s downward moral spiral. As the Church, we have a vital role to play in these perilous times as standard bearers of truth. So bear with me as I take on that role to share some disturbing but important information, and you will understand my point.

Several years ago, the Holy Spirit strongly impressed me to speak on the subject of abortion to my Moscow congregation. I had never once spoken on this subject in all my years as a minister, yet I knew the Holy Spirit was compelling me that this was a message my congregation needed to hear. I didn’t know why the Spirit of God impressed this upon me so strongly until I began to do research about abortion in the former Soviet Union and the rest of the world. What I discovered simply stunned and shocked me.

I discovered that there have been nearly one billion abortions performed worldwide since the 1940s. At the time of this writing, it is more than the combined populations of the United States, Central America, South America, Canada, Australia, England, France, Italy, and Greece.

The greatest and most extensive killing in human history was not done by Nero, Domitian, Hitler, or Stalin — it was done by medical doctors who have murdered more than one billion babies through the act of abortion in the past 100 years. This is mass murder of the innocent, far worse than any holocaust or genocide. It is the annihilation of those who cannot scream to be heard, who cannot defend themselves, and who are thrown in the garbage can or whose body parts are “harvested” for material gain and other purposes.

When I first read these statistics, I shuddered to think of the defenseless lives that have been lost and the blood that has been spilled. But as I continued studying, I was truly amazed at the rationale of those who are pro-choice. Repeatedly they state that they want the rights of the mother to be protected — that if she doesn’t want to have a baby, it should be her “right” to end the pregnancy. I kept wondering about the “rights” of the infant. What about the infant’s right to live?

What is confusing about this logic is that in the same hospitals where abortions are performed at one end, surgeries are being performed at the other end on infants who are still in their mother’s womb. On one end of the hospital they take a life; on the other end of the hospital they save a life — both in the womb of a mother. This is completely illogical. One hundred years ago when common sense still prevailed, no one would have thought this kind of reasoning to be normal. This is a sign of the times in which we live.

As I pondered on all of this, my mind went to Second Timothy 3:3 where Paul discussed the attitudes that will be prevalent in society at the end of the age. As I thought about the brutality of taking innocent lives — and doing it in such a sophisticated way in our nice, sterilized hospitals — I thought about the next point on Paul’s list of signposts that we are in the very last of the last days. He goes on to inform us that society will be “fierce” in those days. What does the word “fierce” mean?

The word “fierce” is a strange word to describe today. This word would better be used to describe cannibals or barbarians. It is the word anemeros, derived from the word nemeros, which pictures something that is gentle, kind, or mild. But when an a is fixed to the front of the word — turning it into the word anemeros — this word changes dramatically. Rather than gentle, kind, or mild, it means savage, vicious, uncivilized, violent, ferocious, or inhumane.

When you think about the world today, much of it seems quite civilized and sophisticated until you remember the one billion babies who have been brutally ripped to pieces — savagely killed every minute of the day in beautiful, sterilized hospitals and clinics across the world. This is savagery of the worst kind; it is legalized murder on a scale so massive that no fiction writer of yesteryear could have imagined it. But this is not fiction; this is reality.

Today those who fight for the rights of unborn children are portrayed as primitive and unintelligent. This is the result of a massive public relations blitz to annihilate the opposition and reinforce the right to terminate the life of a child. Thus far, the courts have unfortunately ruled that a child’s life can be terminated. The law has no defense for the child. I say all of this because of the next point Paul listed in Second Timothy 3. He went on to speak about “despisers of those that are good.” What does this phrase mean?

The phrase in Greek is the word aphiloagathos, and it is a very strange Greek word. In its oldest and truest sense, it depicts a society where law is not primarily intended to protect the rights of good people but rather is used instead to protect and defend the rights of offenders. This word is so unusual, in fact, that it is never used anywhere else in the New Testament. Who could ever imagine a world where laws were used primarily to defend offenders and not to protect the rights of those who are good? Yet this is precisely what Paul prophesied in this verse.

This teaching doesn’t apply only to abortion; it also could be applied to a wide range of situations where criminals are so aggressively protected that they go free while the innocent suffer. According to Second Timothy 3:3, the world in the last days will be savage and inhumane, and it will be morally confused as to what is right or wrong. Can you think of ways that this has application to the world we live in today?

If you have terminated the life of an unborn child — or if you know someone who has done this — there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ. The world today has drifted far from what is right on a wide range of issues, and I did not intend to highlight this one act in order to condemn anyone. Just as there is forgiveness for every grievance against God, there is forgiveness for you or for that person you know who made such a wrong decision. If you will ask Jesus to forgive you, First John 1:9 promises that He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

When the world is morally confused about what is right and wrong, we cannot look to society to set our moral agenda. We must look to the Bible to be our guide and let it be the standard by which we live. I exhort you today to make a renewed commitment to live your life according to the truths set forth by the Bible and to reject any piece of society’s errant moral code that is in conflict with the Word of God. When this world system is over and gone, the Bible and its truths will remain — so align yourself with the eternal and unchanging standards and principles of God!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I ask You to give me a heart for people who have been victimized by the floating moral standard that is trying to dictate what is right and wrong in the world today. Because they listened to the advice of the world, so many people have made decisions they later regretted — decisions that hurt their hearts and wounded their souls. Help me not to condemn them for past mistakes, but to assist them in receiving forgiveness, hope, and healing. I know that You stand with arms wide open to anyone who comes to You. I want to have the same heart and mind that You have, so help me be a beacon of help and hope to people who are looking for answers in these last days.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will base my life on the Word of God, and I refuse to be led by the loose ethical standards that are in the world today. As a child of God and a member of God’s Kingdom, I live by a superior law and higher standard. I have made the choice that God’s Word will be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path that I may not sin against God. Because the Holy Spirit lives within me, He will help me to walk in the paths of righteousness even in the midst of a world that is headed in a wrong direction. With His help and power, I can always do what is right and make correct choices for my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How would you help someone who carries guilt and condemnation for something he or she did wrong in the past? What would you say? How would you counsel that person? What scriptures would you use to help him or her release the past, receive the forgiveness of God, and move forward in life?
2. Can you think of someone you know who has been deeply affected by something he or she did in the past? What have you done to help that person get over that hurdle so he or she can move forward?
3. As you read today’s Sparkling Gem, what other areas did you think about where society is morally confused? I’m talking about areas that are wrong according to God’s Word, but society tries to promote it as though it is acceptable.

There’s a Time for You To Be Inflexible and Unmoving!

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).
— Hebrews 10:23

Maybe you’ve been muttering to yourself, “Come on! I’ve waited and waited for my dream to come to pass. God hasn’t done anything I thought He was going to do. I’ve seen others blessed; I’ve seen others healed; but I’m still sitting here with the same old unanswered prayers. I’m sick of it all! I’m not going to believe and wait any longer. Forget it — I’m letting it all go!”

If this sounds like you, I want to encourage you to take a look at Hebrews 10:23. It says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.…”

We already looked at the words “hold fast” (see March 20) and “profession” (see May 7), but today I want to take you one step further and draw your attention to the word “waver” in this powerful verse of Scripture. The word “waver” is taken from the Greek aklines, which conveys the picture of something that does not bend or something that is fixed and unmoving and is therefore stable and enduring.

Interestingly, if you remove the a from the word aklines, you are left with the word klines, which pictures a person who is bowed down. With shoulders sloped and body bent over, this person is so tired that he can barely stand. Ultimately, he becomes so exhausted that he throws in the towel and gives up. In fact, the word klines is the same root in Greek for a couch or a bed. So when a person is klines, his “give-up” attitude causes him to head for the couch or bed where he lays down, stagnates, and vegetates.

But as noted above, when the a is added to the front of the word, it forms the word aklines, which is just the opposite of a lazy person! Instead, this portrays an attitude that is unbending, unchanging, fixed, stable, and unmoving. In other words, this person has too much invested to go to bed on his faith. He therefore refuses to budge an inch on what he is believing to see or to receive!

Hebrews 10:23 could be interpreted to mean:

“Let us come into agreement with God and begin to speak what He says, tightly wrapping our arms around the promise we are confessing — embracing it with all our might, holding tightly to it, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us, not allowing ourselves to be fickle in our commitment, but determined to be inflexible and unmoving from that which we believe and confess….”

Many people give up hope and quit believing because they get tired of waiting. The devil whispers in their ears and tells them, “This thing you’re believing for isn’t ever going to happen! If it was going to happen, it would have already happened by now! This is just a fantasy. You are wasting your time and throwing away precious years of your life. Why don’t you forget it, let it go, and move on with your life?”

As long as you are energized by faith, you’ll keep moving in a forward direction. But the day you let loose of your faith and back off your position, it won’t be too long until a spiritual sadness will come over your life. Spiritually speaking, your shoulders will slope; your head will drop; and you’ll feel like someone pulled the plug on your energy level. Your eyes will drift toward the couch or bed, and soon you’ll end up completely going to bed on your faith!

Don’t let that happen to you! What God promises, He will perform. It may take awhile for that promise to come into manifestation, but eventually it will come. In the meantime, you must choose to believe that He will do what He has promised. That is the key! You must set your heart and commit your will, making an irrevocable decision to believe His Word regardless of how you feel, what you think in your natural mind, what others say, or how circumstances look.

It is time for you to make the decision that you have too much invested to turn back now! Dig in your heels; drive down your stake; and tell the devil that you are not going to move from your position of faith! Aggressively choose to believe that what God has promised, He will always do. Once you’ve made that kind of life-changing decision, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be rejoicing!

When you finally put your foot down, the devil will stop uttering his lying accusations and he will flee from you. You will be mightily blessed and very thankful that you didn’t give up when you see the confession of your faith finally begin to come into manifestation!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I’ve tolerated the devil’s lies long enough. Today I am making the decision to put my foot down. I’m going to tell the enemy to shut his mouth and flee from me! I have made my choice that I will stand by Your promise and will never retreat from what You have told me to believe and confess. You are not a man that You should lie, and I believe Your Word to be true for my life. Holy Spirit, give me the strength I need to stay fixed, immovable, and steadfast until I finally see the manifestation of those things that I believe!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I don’t waver or bend and that I am fixed and unmoving as I stand on the promises of God. What God promises, He will perform. It may take awhile for that promise to come into manifestation, but I know it is on the way right now! I dig in my heels; I drive down my stake; and I tell the devil that I am NOT going to move from my position of faith! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Think of three times when you were tempted to quit believing on the verge of the manifestation of your answer. Write these experiences down; then take a few minutes to thank God that you didn’t quit believing just before the blessing came!

2. Can you name specific promises from God’s Word that you are currently believing to come into manifestation in your life?

3. Can you remember a time when you gave in to the devil’s lies and threw in the towel on your fight of faith, only to discover just a little later that you would have received your answer if only you had held on a little longer?

The Most Common Word For Prayer in the New Testament

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
— Ephesians 6:18

The most common Greek word translated “prayer” in the New Testament is the word proseuche. This particular word and its various forms is used approximately 127 times in the New Testament. It is the word that Paul uses in Ephesians 6:18, when he says, “Praying always with all prayer.…” The word “prayer” in this verse is a translation of the word proseuche. Today I would like to tell you about this word and what it means for you and me.

The word proseuche is a compound of the words pros and euche. The word pros is a preposition that means toward, and it can denote a sense of closeness. For example, one scholar says the word pros is used to portray the intimate relationship that exists between the members of the Godhead. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.…” The word “with” is taken from the word pros. By using this word to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is telling us that theirs is an intimate relationship. One expositor has translated the verse, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face to face with God.…”

The word pros is used in Ephesians 6:12 to picture our close contact with unseen, demonic spirits that have been marshaled against us. Nearly everywhere it is used in the New Testament, the word pros carries the meaning of close, up-front, intimate contact with someone else.

The second part of the word proseuche is taken from the word euche. The word euche is an old Greek word that describes a wish, desire, prayer, or vow. It was originally used to depict a person who made some kind of vow to God because of some need or desire in his or her life. This individual would vow to give something of great value to God in exchange for a favorable answer to prayer.

A perfect illustration of this word can be found in the Old Testament story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Hannah deeply desired a child but was not able to become pregnant. Out of great desperation and anguish of spirit, she prayed and made a solemn vow to the Lord. First Samuel 1:11 tells us, “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life….”

First Samuel 1:19,20 goes on to tell us, “And they [Elkanah and his wife Hannah] rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son….”

In exchange for God’s gift of this son, Hannah vowed that her young boy would be devoted to the work of the ministry. By making this commitment, she gave her most valued and prized possession in exchange for answered prayer. Technically, this was a euche — she made a vow to give something to God in exchange for answered prayer.

In Greek culture, before prayer was verbalized and offered to a “god,” a commemorative altar was set up and thanksgiving was offered on that altar. Such offerings of praise and thanksgiving were called votive offerings (from the word “vow”). These votive offerings were similar to a pledge. The person would promise that once his prayer had been answered, he would be back to give additional thanksgiving to God. These votive offerings of praise and worship were elaborate and well-planned. Giving thanks to a deity was a significant event, so it was done in a serious and grandiose manner to outwardly demonstrate a thankful heart.

All of this is included in the background of the word proseuche, the word used more than any other for “prayer” in the New Testament. Keep in mind, the majority of Paul’s readers were Greek in origin and knew the cultural background of this word; hence, they understood its full ramifications. What a picture of prayer this is!

This tells us several important things about prayer. First, the word proseuche tells us that prayer should bring us face to face and into close contact with God. Prayer is more than a mechanical act or a formula to follow; it is a vehicle to bring us to a place whereby we may enjoy a close, intimate relationship with God.

The idea of sacrifice is also associated with this word for “prayer.” It portrayed an individual who desired to see his prayer answered so desperately that he was willing to surrender everything he owned in exchange for answered prayer. Clearly, this describes an altar of sacrifice and consecration in prayer whereby a believer’s life is yielded entirely to God.

Although the Holy Spirit may convict our hearts of areas that need to be surrendered to His sanctifying power, He will never forcibly take anything from us. Thus, this particular word for prayer tells of a place of decision, a place of consecration, an altar where we freely vow to give our lives to God in exchange for His life. Because the word proseuche carries this meaning of surrender and sacrifice, we can know that God obviously desires to do more than merely bless us — He wants to change us! He wants us to come to a place of consecration where we meet with Him face to face and surrender every area of our lives to Him, and in exchange, we are touched and changed by His power and Presence.

Thanksgiving was also a vital part of this common word for “prayer.” This tells us that genuine prayer, when offered in faith, will include thanksgiving to God in advance for hearing and answering the prayer. Thus, when we come to the Lord in prayer, it is imperative that we never stop short of thanking Him for answering our prayers and requests before we ever see the answers manifested.

I think you can see that the word for “prayer” used most often in the New Testament is more than simply a prayer request. This word demands surrender, consecration, and thanksgiving from us. The idea of the word proseuche is this: “Come face to face with God, and surrender your life in exchange for His. Maintain an attitude of consecration as an ongoing part of your life, and be sure to give Him thanks in advance for moving on your behalf.…”

The possible references for the word proseuche are far too many to list right now, but I suggest that you study for yourself many of the 127 places where it is used in the New Testament. However, be sure you don’t just study this subject of prayer — you also need to do it!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I come before You right now with the specific petition that is on my heart. I know that You want to answer my prayers and fulfill my requests, but You also want me to surrender more of myself to You. Before I ask You to meet my needs today, I first want to consecrate myself more fully to You. Forgive me for hanging on to parts of my life that I’ve needed to surrender to You. Right now I yield these areas of my life to You, and I ask You in exchange to please fill me with more of You. I thank You in advance for answering that prayer. I also thank You for hearing my specific prayer request and for fulfilling the needs I am confronted with today.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am surrendered and yielded to the Lord. Every part of my life is becoming more yielded to Him every day. As the Holy Spirit shows me areas that I need to release to Him, I do it quickly and without delay. Because I have given my life to Him, He is filling me with more and more of Himself. He hears me when I pray; He accepts my thanksgiving; and He fulfills the needs that I present to Him today!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. How often do you come before the Lord for a time of intimate prayer and worship? Do you set aside time to spend with God once a day, a couple of times a week — or do you only experience His Presence during worship when you attend church services?

2. Can you recall a time when God dealt with your heart about something you needed to yield to Him? When you finally relinquished it into His hands, how quickly did you experience an answer to your specific prayer requests?

3. Is there anything you need to yield to the Lord in your life right now? Write down whatever comes to mind that you need to release to Him

…without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers…
— 2 Timothy 3:3

When I was a young boy, each night our family gathered around the table in the dining room for the evening meal. Mother cooked while my sisters and I set the plates and silverware on the table, and before we ate, Dad prayed a prayer of blessing over our meal. It was a wonderful family time that we looked forward to each evening. When we finished our meal, we washed, dried, and put away the dishes. Then we’d usually move to the living room to spend time together watching a couple of family-oriented TV programs.

We ate together, prayed together, spent our evenings and weekends together, went to church together, and even rode everywhere in the car together because we only had one car. If we spent time away from home, it was at the home of family friends or at a church function. So we were together most of the time, as were most families back in those days. But this is not the case for most families today.

Because most homes own multiple cars today, everyone often travels separately, following their various busy schedules. As a result, few families sit down to eat a meal together — and even if they do, it is rarely cooked at home but usually eaten at a restaurant. Families don’t even watch television together anymore. Because they have so many televisions in their houses, they can all be home, yet not together, watching different programs in different parts of the house. Unfortunately, many families don’t even attend the same churches.

The truth is, if families are going to spend time together today, it won’t usually happen unless they cancel something else and schedule time to make it happen. The day of families spending large amounts of time together has almost vanished in our modern-day world. But according to the signposts that Paul lists in Second Timothy 3, the deterioration of close families and marriages are developments that will occur in the last days.

Paul next told us that society will be “without natural affection….” The words “without natural affection” are a translation of the Greek word astorgos — from the word storgos, but with an a affixed to the front of it, which reverses the definition of storgos.

So what does storgos mean? It is the Greek word that describes devotion to one’s own family or an instinctive commitment to one’s family. But when an a is fixed to the front of this word, it describes a lack of devotion or commitment to one’s family. In other words, it pictures a disjointed family that has lost the closeness it once possessed. The word astorgos that Paul used in this verse could be translated unloving, but with reference to an unloving, non-nurturing, uncaring family environment.

The traditional family relationships that once existed in abundance are threatened today by schedules, multiple jobs in one home, financial pressure, divorce, kids living with separate parents, multiple cars that help to create separate paths of each family member’s life, multiple televisions per home, and so on. Parents go one direction, while children go another direction — and very often even Dad and Mom don’t go the same direction. Thus, the family resides in one house together, but they don’t share life together, and most often they don’t even share a meal together unless they schedule it into their week.

Sociologists say this troubling trend has contributed to rebellion in children who feel neglected or unwanted; attention disorders in children who are rushed from one place to the next or who spend time watching television instead of enjoying time with their parents and siblings; and marital relationships deteriorating as a result of life moving so fast that husband and wife don’t take time to connect and share their hearts and lives in a meaningful way. This problem today is epidemic. Just ask any schoolteacher about the state of children today — and teachers everywhere will verify that the family is in serious trouble.

This is one of the signposts that we have entered the last of the last days.

People who assert that the family situation today is no different than in previous times are either deliberately negligent or blind to the facts. We have only to read the statistics and reports of what is happening to the family to nearly be shaken to the core. It is a sign of the times in which we are living.

Thank God, those of us who love Him do not have to fall victim to this plight. By living according to God’s Word and by making our families and participation in a local church a priority, we can build strong families even in these last days. If we don’t take time to build our families right, we will unfortunately reap sad consequences. These are the last days; therefore, we are obligated to wisely build our families to resist the spiritual storms that are characteristic of this age.

Paul went on to tell us next that the deterioration of the family will be so rampant in the last days, families will be affected by “trucebreakers.” The word “trucebreakers” is the Greek word aspondos, from the word spondos, meaning a treaty or a covenant but with an a attached to the front of it. This makes it the word aspondos, which is an unquestionable reference to one who breaks a truce or one who breaks a covenant. The word is difficult to translate from Greek, but almost all translators agree that this describes a covenant that is broken due to irreconcilable differences. In this verse, Paul had just been speaking about deteriorating family relationships. By using this word aspondos at this juncture, in all likelihood he was predicting a rampant outbreak of divorce in the very last of the last days.

Family relationships will decline to such a degree in the last days that it will give rise to a widespread epidemic of divorce. Lacking the commitment to work through problems, husbands and wives — who already are moving so fast that they are nearly living separate lives — will find it easier to just keep permanently moving in different directions rather than sticking it out and working through their problems. Paul even used the Greek word aspondos to let us know the claim of irreconcilable differences will be used as the main reason to divorce. The Holy Spirit prophesies through Paul that when divorce hits epidemic proportions, it is a signpost that the world has entered the final chapters of the last days.

Divorce is at an all-time high in world history. The introduction of no-fault divorce — otherwise referred to as irreconcilable differences — has been a huge contributor to the largest increase of divorce in history. Billions of dollars are spent annually on support payments, and tens of thousands of professional workers administer and enforce child-support arrangements. In short, divorce is sadly one of the biggest industries in the world today.

Knowing that we live in these last days, we who are married must stay before the Lord, keep a pure heart, and cleave to the spouse God gave us. If you struggle in your marital relationship, God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit can mend it. Yes, it may take time and work. But in most cases, with God’s help, you will find that you don’t have to become another casualty of this trend toward divorce that is so rampant in the world today.

But if you have already fallen victim to this symptom of the last days, God’s grace is present to fully restore. He loves you and cares deeply for the wounds this has inflicted on your soul and on the souls of your children. With the help of God and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, it is possible for you to fully recover from this trauma. God is always present to help those who call on Him in time of need.

Where divorce is rampant, the courts are overloaded with lawsuits — and this leads to the next point that Paul listed in his signposts of the last days. He wrote that society will experience a wave of “false accusers.” Pay close attention to this point because I believe that you will find this very interesting.

The words “false accusers” in Greek is diabolos, which most often is translated as the word devil. In the context of these verses, however, it is used to picture people who argue and debate in a court of law in order to win material gain or to get legal advantage.

Just as the word “devil” means accuser or slanderer, Paul used this word to depict a time when people will excessively accuse, slander, and sue to gain material substance or to get legal advantage. Paul forecasted a time when, rather than sit down and work it out, people will overload the legal system with lawsuits because they find it easier and more convenient — or to their financial advantage — to accuse and sue rather than to settle their differences. In fact, it may seem as if the devil himself has taken over the legal system as more and more people join the frenzy and resort to suing each other.

Does this sound familiar to the world you live in today?

As I read Paul’s list of signposts indicating that the last days have begun, I am simply amazed at the accuracy of the Bible. Paul told us that society would be “…without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers…” (2 Timothy 3:2). Two thousand years in advance, the Holy Spirit perfectly forecasted what would occur in society at the end of the ages.

All of these words and phrases in an interpretative translation could read:

“…Love and commitment for family will degenerate; divorce will become epidemic with irreconcilable differences being the major cause for separation; and the court system will be overwhelmed as people go overboard in their suing others and in being sued….”

It’s amazing to read, isn’t it? Yet these are the days we live in. But God has not abandoned us to these turbulent times. We have the Word of God as our instruction manual; the Holy Spirit as our Teacher, Mentor, and Guide; and we have other brothers and sisters in the Christian community on whom we can lean for support and help when it is needed. With all that God has provided, we are well able to live victoriously for Him in these last times!

It’s not time for you to throw in the towel in despair — it’s time for you to throw up your hands with a shout of victory! You are truly a part of a chosen generation that is experiencing not only the end of the age, but also history’s greatest opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and to help bring in a last harvest of souls before the age concludes. What a privilege!

So continually fortify yourself with God’s Word; learn to let the Holy Spirit’s power flow unhindered through you; and run your race with endurance all the way to the end. In the midst of all your other responsibilities before God, make a quality decision to set aside time to spend with family as a top priority so you can keep family relationships strong and healthy. And before you conclude your race one day, determine to do all you can to tell the Good News of Jesus to people so that when you make the big exit, you will take as many people with you as possible!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I am so glad that You saved me and delivered me from the destruction that is at work in the lost world today. When I read your Word and watch what is happening in the world around me, I see how carefully You tried to warn us of these things and to prepare us to live victoriously in them. How can I ever thank You enough for so carefully revealing the future and the truth to those of us who love You and Your Word? Now that I really see what a pivotal time this is, I ask You to help me live each day wisely and not to waste a minute. And please teach me to take advantage of each opportunity when I can tell the Good News of Jesus’ saving grace to people who are lost and in need of Him.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I boldly confess that the Holy Spirit lives in me. Therefore, I am more than enough to face the challenges of living in these last days. It is no accident that I am alive right now. God chose me for this time; He needs me on the earth. I am anointed to break burdens, to destroy the yoke of bondage in people’s lives, and to manifest the glory of God to all those who are around me. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to see the end of the ages that the prophets saw by faith. I purpose to obey the Word of God, walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit, and see the glory of God manifested in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. In light of what you have read in today’s Sparkling Gem, I want to ask, how is the condition of your family? Do you spend time together? Do you sit down and eat a meal together every day — or do you find your family all going in different directions and hardly ever spending quality time together?
2. What decisions and changes do you need to make to strengthen your family? What do you believe the Holy Spirit is asking you to do to undergird your home and to make it stronger?
3. Can you think of people who have been casualties of the trends you’ve read about today? Can you think of people who have suffered personal tragedy or loss that you can help, strengthen, or assist as they recover from the struggles they have gone through? Who are those people, and what should you do to show your love and concern to them?

What Are You Teaching Your Children at Home?

One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. 
— 1 Timothy 3:4

As parents, we have a responsibility to train and prepare our children to be successful in life, and there is no better classroom for teaching them the responsibilities of life than in our own homes. God expects us to teach our children how to conduct themselves, how to respond to authority, how to cooperate with others, how to work as a part of a team, and how to successfully execute daily responsibilities. By giving our children this kind of training, we prepare them for the real world where they will one day be employed and make a living.

This issue of properly training our children is extremely important. In First Timothy 3:4, the apostle Paul wrote that leaders are to set the example in this area for everyone else in the church. A leader must be “one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.”

Today I want to focus on what Paul said about how children should behave. What he says applies to all children, for there are no double standards. We are commanded by God to train, teach, prepare, and equip our sons and daughters to victoriously enter the arena of life.

Paul says that our children should be “…in subjection with all gravity.” The word “subjection” comes from the Greek word hupotasso. It means to set things in order or to be subject to someone else, and it strongly suggests the idea of obedience to authority. One expositor notes that this word implies a subjection to authority that can happen voluntarily or that can be required by force. It is important that Paul uses this word when speaking to parents, for it affirms that parents have the right to exercise godly authority over their children. If children don’t voluntarily submit, parents have every right before God to force their children to obey.

Further confirming the strength of the word hupotasso, this word was a military term that was used to describe soldiers who were under the command or authority of a superior officer. As with all soldiers, they knew who their superior was; they understood how to respond to that superior officer; they knew their own place, function, and assignment in the army; and they understood both the rewards for obedience and the penalty for disobedience and disrespect. Let’s consider how this example of a soldier in the military applies to the training of our own children.

First, a soldier never questions who his authority is. He knows from the first day who is in charge and to whom he reports. Having this knowledge clears away any confusion about whom he is accountable to. He has been given clear instructions about who is the boss, and this sets things in order so he never has to wonder who is really in charge.

Likewise, parents need to make it clear from the time a child is young that Dad and Mom are the ultimate authority in the home. When a parent doesn’t exercise authority and lets a child get away with whatever he or she wants, it brings confusion into the home.

Set things straight by making it known to your children that you are assuming your godly role as the leader of your home. By teaching your children to respond correctly to your authority at home, you are preparing them to respond properly to their future employers.

A soldier understands his daily responsibilities. For example, no soldier in the army wakes up and says, “Gee, I wonder what the sergeant will ask me to do today?” The soldier knows that certain responsibilities are regular and routine. He understands that he is expected to fulfill these basic duties each day — duties such as making his bed, combing his hair, grooming his face, shining his shoes, and wearing clothes that are pressed.

Likewise, your children need daily duties to teach them responsibility. By using the word hupotasso, Paul is telling us that, like soldiers, children need daily discipline — including responsibilities that are required and expected of them each day. This kind of “basic training” helps children understand the realities of work, the responsibilities of life, and how to be a part of a team.

It is my personal view that it’s wrong for a parent to make a child’s bed, clean up his room, pick up his mess after he showers, and wash his dishes after he eats while he sits and watches television. This kind of “schoolroom” represents an unrealistic picture of life for the child. In the real world, no one will do everything for him when he’s an adult. He’ll get a big shock when he goes out into the world and suddenly discovers that no one is going to be easy on him in the workplace and that he has to carry his own weight of responsibility.

If a soldier fails in performing his basic duties, he knows beforehand that it will result in some kind of penalty. By using the word “subjection” (hupotasso), Paul embraces this picture of military order that includes rewards for a job well done and penalties for poor performance.

Rewards are very important as you teach your children. Rewards become goals and aspirations to help motivate a child to achieve bigger and better results. Teaching this to your child at home will help him later when he gets a job and wants a bigger salary. He will understand that to receive better wages, he will have to put out better work. Teaching our sons and daughters that nothing comes free in life is imperative if we want them to be blessed as adults.

But as important as it is to give your children rewards for a good performance, it is also important to give them penalties for a poor performance. Why should a bad job be rewarded? Will your children be rewarded for a bad performance when they go out into the workplace and get a job? Of course not! Therefore, it is part of your parental responsibility to ingrain into your children the principle that good work reaps a good reward, but poor work produces undesirable consequences. That doesn’t mean you have to berate them for unsatisfactory work. You just need to take the time to lovingly explain and demonstrate how different levels of work are rewarded differently.

It is amazing that all these concepts are concealed in the Greek word hupotasso, translated in First Timothy 3:4 as the word “subjection.” Unfortunately, we live in a day when parents are afraid to be the authority in the home as God has called them to be. But you have no need to be afraid. God has designated you to be a leader and a teacher for your children. If you don’t assume this place of responsibility and teach them the necessary principles for success, who will prepare them for life?

So follow God’s pattern of parenting. Give your children responsibilities to regularly perform. Make sure they understand the rewards and penalties for not doing what is expected. Do everything you can to help prepare your children for a successful, disciplined life. When they grow up and begin to work in the real world, they will thank you for investing your time and love into preparing them for life!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for speaking to me about teaching my children the responsibilities of life. I want my children to be godly and successful, so I want to lead them and teach them from the Word of God. I know that my personal example is the strongest message I have to preach to my children, so help me be real and authentic, not hypocritical in my Christian life. Parenting is such a huge responsibility that I must have Your help to do it properly. I look to You and Your Word to guide me as I rear the children You have placed in my care.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that I am a godly parent and I lead my children in the way of righteousness! I am not afraid to step up to the plate and take my leadership role. I do it boldly, proudly, and reverently, realizing that this is one of the greatest honors and responsibilities of my life. I recognize that my children are gifts from God, and I treat them with the greatest respect as I teach them how to become successful young adults. With the help of God’s Spirit and the guidance of His Word, I am doing exactly what I must for my children to be anointed, godly, and blessed.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. What impact did your own parents make on your life? Did they prepare you for life, or did you go out into the world feeling like you were totally unequipped for living on your own?

2. What are you doing right now to teach your own children how to be prepared for life? Do you require daily duties of them and hold them accountable for how  well they perform the jobs you have assigned to them?

3. As you look at your own children and their attitude toward life, toward work, and toward authority figures, what changes could you make in your own leadership style in order to produce better results in your children?

For men shall be… unthankful, unholy….
— 2 Timothy 3:2

In the 1970s, a book by a well-known Christian leader was published that shook the entire Christian community to its core. The reason it so deeply impacted so many people was the dreadful predictions it made about the future. Perhaps the most shocking prediction was that a day would come when sexual situations and homosexuality would be seen on television in people’s homes. People were aghast!

The Christian community reacted sharply. Across the nation people resounded, “The man who wrote this book is obviously off in his predictions, because such things could never happen in America.” But now years have passed, and what this man predicted is exactly what has come to pass. No one would have believed that the trash now seen and laughed at on television every night would become so commonplace that people wouldn’t even be disturbed by it.

This downward spiral that has occurred in the moral code of Western society is hooked to another modern trend that we can trace through the years. Western nations — and especially America — are extremely blessed with financial prosperity and material possessions. So who could ever dream that people in such a blessed environment could be ungrateful for the blessings they possess? Yet instead of focusing on the blessings they have and thanking God for them, a lost and selfish world focuses on what they do not have — claiming they deserve more than they are getting.

As we continue looking at signposts of the last days outlined in Second Timothy 3, we see that an unthankful attitude is listed with unholiness as two major indicators that the final stages of the last days have begun. Paul told us that society at the end of the age will become “unthankful.”

The word “unthankful” is a translation of the Greek word acharistos. The word charistos on its own simply means thankful, but when an a is attached to the front of it, it reverses the condition and turns it into an attitude that is unthankful and ungrateful. It is a picture of people who previously had a thankful heart but now are unthankful and unappreciative. They no longer focus on their blessings they have in their lives; instead, they fixate on what they don’t have. These are people who have become unappreciative and unthankful and who live their lives void of any sense of gratitude.

The only other place where the word acharistos is found in the New Testament is Luke 6:35. There Jesus connects unthankfulness with evil, which lets us know that ingratitude is evil in God’s sight. It is spiritually criminal to not be thankful for what we have.

The unsaved man is selfish because iniquity rules his heart. And a chief manifestation of iniquity is ingratitude, which is a symptom of selfishness. But Christians are not immune from a selfish, ungrateful attitude. Christians can also succumb to the sense of entitlement and selfishness that marks the spirit of this age.

You need to know that as long as an ungrateful attitude prevails in your life, you will never be happy. Thankfulness is a prerequisite to happiness, because only a thankful heart can be a happy heart.

Unfortunately, we live in a world today where people are so self-focused and self-consumed that they are rarely grateful for anything. In fact, people have been blessed with so much that they take their blessings for granted and don’t even realize how fortunate they truly are. Rather than being thankful — the Greek word charistos — they are unthankful (acharistos), and Paul taught that this is a signpost of the last days.

Before we proceed to Paul’s next point, I want to ask you:

• Are you grateful and thankful for what you have, or has unthankfulness begun to poison your spiritual life?
• How long has it been since you took time to thank God for what you do have?
• Taking your words and actions into account, would God count you to be among those who have thankful and grateful hearts, or would He count you to be among the ungrateful and unthankful?
• How long has it been since you considered your blessings and set aside time to specifically thank God for what He has provided in your life?
• When you are thankful, it not only changes your attitude, but it also transforms the environment around you. So isn’t it time that you took time to thank God for His blessings in your life and thereby positively affect your attitude and environment?

One thing is clear: Unthankfulness and unholiness are connected. One always leads to the other. That is why Paul lists the word “unholy” immediately after the word “unthankful.” When people stop expressing a heart of gratitude toward God, unholy attitudes inevitably begin to materialize, and these attitudes are soon followed by blatant unholy behavior.

Think of it — in our world today, nations that were established on godly principles have become infested with godlessness and wickedness. Things have changed radically even within the span of our lifetimes! In just a few short decades, society has devolved from sanctioning open prayer in public schools to outlawing God altogether in those places. Instead of acknowledging God as the Supreme Creator, society refuses to recognize Him at all. And when the recognition of God is removed, everything evil has room to take root and propagate. As long as a society recognizes God, it will live by a higher moral code — but when God is removed, man immediately begins to slide downward into sin and debauchery. Unthankfulness always leads to unholiness.

The word “unholy” that Paul used in this text is from the Greek word anosios. The Greek root, nosios, refers to that which is holy, sacred, pure, or sanctioned by God. However, when an a is attached to the front of the word, it reverses the condition. Just as an a attached to the front of the word charistos changes the meaning from thankfulness to unthankfulness, an a added to the front of the word osios changes its meaning to unholy, unsacred, impure, and unsanctioned by God. This word anosios describes a person who once was ruled by holiness, but who now has become dominated by the rule of unholiness. At one point, this individual revered that which was holy, sacred, pure, and sanctioned by God — but he became contaminated by the unholy, unsacred, and impure. He made the choice to embrace attitudes and actions that are unsanctioned by God.

In addition to describing that which is unsacred, the Greek word anosios (“unholy”) can also be used to describe activities or actions that are impure, ill-mannered, improper, unclean, indecent, coarse, vulgar, offensive, crude, lewd, and rude. That book I mentioned earlier produced a sharp reaction from the wider Christian community when it was published in the 1970s because no one believed such things could happen in a God-fearing nation. Yet in the years since that time, that author’s predictions have proven true, time and time again. God has been removed from classrooms and from public places — and the nation has slidden into a moral downward spiral. One visit to an evening of television will quickly show that which is impure, ill-mannered, improper, unclean, indecent, coarse, vulgar, offensive, crude, lewd, and rude is dominating the airwaves and society. What was once considered vulgar is now widely considered appropriate subject matter for jokes and entertainment. What God calls unholy is what society thinks is funny. What has happened to us?

These are all signs of the last days.

However, just because you live in the last days does not mean that you should be affected by this moral downslide. By making God’s Word your standard and upholding it in your life, you can stay free from the spiritual corrosion that is eating away at the world today. What is happening to a lost society does not have to happen to you or to your family.

To remain untouched by this moral degeneration, you must make the decision to keep your eyes on Jesus and live to please Him. Choose to make His Word the guide for your heart, and never permit yourself to entertain or find funny those things that God deems “unholy.” This situation is not funny — it is spiritually deadly and damning. The world laughs while it goes to hell. Lost society is oblivious to the deception that is dragging it lower and lower into depravity and judgment. What is funny about this scenario? Nothing!

If society focused its gaze on God and kept Him in their minds, it would be more difficult for Satan’s deception to work its plan in the world. But when man becomes unthankful — ceasing to acknowledge God and to be thankful for His abundant blessings — that is when he begins to sink into decadence.

These words in Second Timothy 3:2 are so packed with meaning that this part of the verse could be expanded and paraphrased to read:

“…Although they were once thankful and appreciative, people will become void of gratitude and generally unappreciative of everything in the last times. As a result, impurity will seep into society and cause it to become unholy — impure, ill-mannered, unclean, indecent, coarse, vulgar, offensive, crude, lewd, and rude, behaving and carrying on in a way that God would never sanction….”

The same effect can happen to you as a believer if you cease to recognize God and express thankfulness to Him. You see, a Christian may not slide into the same sins to which the world quickly succumbs, but ungratefulness, bitterness, and other heart-hardening attitudes will worm their way into your soul if you do not maintain an attitude of thankfulness and constantly recognize God’s goodness in your life.

This is exactly why King David spoke to his own soul in Psalm 103:2, saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” In a moment of difficulty, David paused to remind himself that God had been good to him. By rehearsing in his mind all the good things that God had done in his life, it created in him a thankful and grateful heart.

So before you do anything else today, why don’t you take a few minutes to be alone with the Lord and express your thankfulness to Him for the wonderful things He has done for you? If you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself or to think that others are more blessed than you, this is an indicator that you may have slipped into the sin of being more focused on what you don’t have than you are on all the good things you do have — and on the wonderful things God has already done for you. The truth is, you have a lot to be thankful for if you’ll just take time to think about it. Regardless of what you are facing today — God has been good to you, and it’s time to thank Him for His blessing in your life!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I ask You to help me remember all the good things You have done for me! Forgive me for being so focused on what I don’t have that I’ve overlooked what I do have. I refuse to be unthankful. Today I pause to rehearse all the good and wonderful things You have done in my life. I repent for allowing ingratitude and a lack of thankfulness to creep into my life when the list of things I have to be thankful for is so long that I don’t know if I can even recall all of Your goodness. Thank You for being so good to me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I have a grateful and thankful heart! My soul blesses the Lord, and I forget not all His benefits toward me! The world around me may forget God’s goodness, but I will not be guilty of this neglect. He saved me from sin; He rescued me from myself; He delivered me from harm and destruction; He has kept me safely through all kinds of situations in life; and He has given me His Word as His promise and His Spirit to empower my life and to help keep me free from sin. He has done so much for me! I make the decision right now that my mouth is going to be filled with His praises, and thankfulness will spring forth from my heart. By recognizing Him and what He has done in my life, I will positively affect my attitude and super-charge my environment with the Spirit of God!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How long has it been since you made a list of the things you are thankful for that God has done for you? In order to keep your heart soft before the Lord, it is necessary for you to maintain a grateful attitude, so today I want to encourage you to take a little time to reflect on all God has done for you and to make a list of the things for which you are thankful.
2. As you’ve watched television, have you noticed how so much of what is broadcast into people’s homes is impure, ill-mannered, improper, unclean, indecent, coarse, vulgar, offensive, crude, lewd, and rude? As you listen to unholy jokes or watch subject matter that is grievous to God, what effect does it have on you?
3. What changes do you need to make in your own life to be more pleasing to God in the way you live and think? What do you need to eliminate in order to keep your mind pure and your thoughts clean? Has the Holy Spirit been dealing with you about any areas you need to change — and if yes, what are those areas?

Dip and Dye!

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
— Matthew 28:19

One year our Moscow pastoral staff had a debate over whether or not it was right or wrong to dye Easter eggs for the annual Easter celebration. In the Russian Orthodox Church, Easter eggs are a very big part of tradition. Therefore, I wanted to include Easter eggs in our church celebration in order to help those from an Orthodox background feel more comfortable in their new Protestant surroundings. My goal was for our children’s ministry to dip, dye, and decorate several thousand eggs — one for each member of the congregation — and then to publicly present them on stage to the church before giving one to every person in attendance.

Because the children would be presenting the eggs on stage, I knew this special presentation would attract their unsaved parents to the service, allowing the parents to hear the Gospel for the first time. Some of the pastoral staff thought this was a great idea, but others thought it was inappropriate to use a symbol that also had alleged ties to paganism from the past.

At the same time we were debating this question, I was preparing to preach a message about water baptism. To prepare for my message, I pulled out my Greek New Testament, opened it to Matthew 28:19, and began to look at the Greek word for “baptism.” I honestly thought, What new revelation could I possibly learn about the word “baptism” after studying it for so many years? But I’ll open all my books and give it a shot to see if there’s anything about this word I’ve never seen before.

Wow! Was I ever shocked at what I discovered that day! After all those years of studying, I saw something I had never seen before about baptidzo, the Greek word for “baptism.” I saw that this word baptidzo originally meant to dip and to dye. For instance, in very early cases, baptidzo described the process of dipping a cloth or garment into a vat of color to dye it; leaving it there long enough for the material to soak up the new color; and then pulling that garment out of the dye with a permanently changed outward appearance. When I saw this, I just about leaped out of my chair with excitement!

In Second Corinthians 5:17, Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” A person who comes to Jesus Christ can be likened to an old garment that needs to be dipped into a vat of dye so its color can be changed. However, the person isn’t dipped into a vat of colored dye, but into the precious blood of the Lamb! This person is so totally transformed by Jesus’ blood that he becomes a new creature. His countenance is so changed that he even looks different. You could say that this new believer has been “dipped and dyed”!

What a new light this shed on baptism! Paul wrote, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Water baptism is a symbolic proclamation of the fact that believers have been buried with Christ and raised with Him. When a believer is placed in the baptismal waters, it symbolizes being immersed in one condition and coming out looking brand new. In other words, it is a picture of what happened to that person when he got saved! This outward symbol represents the fact that he has been dipped in the blood of the Lamb, and now his entire life has been newly colored and transformed to be like Jesus!

When I saw this meaning in the word baptidzo, I told my pastoral staff, “This year we’re going to let the children dye Easter eggs. Then we’re going to use this as a teaching tool to show them what happens when a person is born again!” I instructed the teachers to tell the children that each egg represented a person who has been saved and dipped in the blood of Jesus Christ — newly colored, transformed, and changed forever.

The time came for the children to dye and decorate those eggs. As they dipped those eggs, they imagined that they were baptizing people who were newly saved. It turned out to be quite a hallelujah time! Each Easter egg became a declaration to those children that several thousand new people would soon be saved and water baptized!

Aren’t you thankful that Jesus totally transformed your life? Don’t you see things differently from the way you used to see them? Hasn’t your entire outlook on life been altered? In a certain sense, couldn’t you say that there is new light and color since Jesus came into your life? Just go ahead and rejoice in the fact that you have been dipped and dyed in the blood of Jesus and that you’ll never be the same again!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so grateful that You accepted me when I was dead in sin and washed me with Your precious blood. When I was placed inside You, everything old passed away and everything in me became brand new. For this great gift of life and salvation, I want to serve You the rest of my days. I am so thankful to You for giving me a new view of life and a whole new reason to live. When You came to dwell in me through the Person of the Holy Spirit, the drab, dark days of sin passed away, and a new world of light and color filled my life. For this, I am forever thankful!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that I am a new creature in Jesus Christ. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new! I am not who I used to be anymore. I don’t think like that old man; I don’t see like that old man; I don’t talk like that old man; and I don’t behave like that old man anymore. Now I am in Jesus Christ, and I think like Him, see like Him, talk like Him, and behave like Him. I have come alive with vibrant life because of His resurrection power that works inside me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you name the ways your life radically changed after Jesus Christ came into your heart? Make a list of ten ways your life changed after you got saved.

2. When you first got saved, can you remember how the world looked different to you? What seemed to be the most different?

3. Have you obeyed the Lord and been water baptized? If not, when do you plan to take this fundamental step of obedience that Jesus demands of every serious believer?