Don’t Do What You’re Tempted To Do When Someone Gets Ugly With You!

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
— 2 Timothy 2:24

Have you ever found yourself in a predicament where you were trying to help someone who resisted you, spoke disrespectfully to you, and just flat out acted ugly? In that instant, did you find your blood boiling, your temperature rising, and your emotions agitated? Were you so angry that you felt like you would detonate? Be honest! Did you feel tempted to fly into a rage, lecture the ingrate derogatorily for his attitude, or even slap him right across the face?

It’s natural to feel exasperated when someone you are trying to help doesn’t respond appropriately to the assistance you are offering. But yielding to your own emotions and getting in the flesh won’t make the situation any better. In fact, it will only make the situation worse! So hold your tongue, stay seated in your chair, and keep your head on straight when you find yourself in a situation like this!

Many years ago, Denise and I had one particular employee who was extremely gifted — but he was one of the most difficult people to work with I’ve ever met in my life. This man was rude, insubordinate, critical of others, and regularly late to work. On the other hand, he was very talented and produced great results in his job. One day I wanted to fire him; the next day, I wanted to reward him. It was such an emotional mixture! How I wished this employee would just calm down, talk nicely to people, and learn how to get along with others!

From time to time, I had to sit down and talk to this man about his attitude. But dealing with him was so excruciatingly laborious. I dreaded those moments when I knew I had to sit down to talk to him. Here I was, trying to help this employee — but rather than receive correction graciously and thank me for trying to take him to a higher level, he would argue, debate, or try to turn the conversation around and point his finger at other people. It simply exasperated me, yet I knew that God wanted me to work with and teach this man; therefore, I had to remain self-controlled and not allow myself to get caught up in the flesh and knock him flat!

Have you ever felt this way before? Can you remember a time when you tried to help your child, but your child’s response was belligerent and unreceptive to you? Or can you recall a time when you worked with a fellow employee whose attitude toward the boss was so bad that he or she deserved to be fired for it? Or perhaps you can remember someone at church who had a critical attitude toward the pastor and got involved in ugly backbiting and gossip. I hope it wasn’t you!

When Timothy was serving as pastor of the Ephesian church, he had some insubordinate people in church leadership positions. Apparently he had written to Paul about this problem, because when Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he addressed the problem, telling Timothy what kind of attitude he needed to maintain when dealing with people who had bad attitudes. Paul said, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24).

The word “strive” is the Greek word machomai, and it means to quarrel, dispute, argue, or to get into strife or contention with someone else. At first, this Greek word was used to picture armed combatants who exchanged blows with deadly weapons. Later, it came to denote men who fought hand to hand — striking, punching, wrangling, and rolling on the ground as they slugged it out with each other. But by the time of the New Testament when Paul used the word machomai in this verse, it depicted people who were at odds with each other bickering, squabbling, and slugging it out — not with swords or fists, but with their words. So Paul urges Timothy (and all of us) not to allow ourselves to get dragged into a war of words when we are trying to correct people who have bad attitudes.

Next, Paul tells us that we must be “gentle.” This is the Greek word epios, which means to be mild-mannered, kind, temperate, calm, or gentle. We find this word used by Paul in First Thessalonians 2:7, where he reminds the Thessalonians of how he had behaved among them. He writes, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.”

It is important that we see how Paul uses the word epios in the context of caring for little children. This suggests that now Paul is telling Timothy to realize that he is dealing with immature people whom he must treat like children. Parents are to teach and discipline their children without “flying off the handle” every time their children are rude or disrespectful. Now Timothy must assume this kind of parental, correcting, teaching role in the way he deals with these who are acting inappropriately in his church.

When people behave disrespectfully toward their boss, their department director, their pastor, or their parents, they are demonstrating that they are not smart and certainly not mature. When you see this, it should send up a red flag before you to let you know the maturity level you are dealing with in the lives of these individuals. Even if they are called to the ministry; even if they have been to Bible school; even if they have been members of your church for a long time — the fact that they would act disrespectfully toward authority reveals that these people are still young in terms of maturity.

You should thank God that this came to light. Had you moved these individuals upward into a higher place of visibility while they were still at this deficient level of maturity, it would have been a big problem for you later. But now you can see that they’re not ready for a higher place of responsibility. You can also visibly discern the areas in which you need to help them so they can maximize their potential in the Lord.

Second Timothy 2:24 could be translated to read:

“And the servant of the Lord must not get caught up in a war of words — wrangling, wrestling, bickering, squabbling, arguing, and verbally slugging it out with his contenders. Instead, he must be calm, steady, temperate, kind, and gentle in the way he responds.…”

So when you try to bring correction into someone’s life who is under your authority and that person doesn’t initially respond the way he should, don’t let it ruffle your feathers or throw you into a state of exasperation. Certainly you shouldn’t allow yourself to get so caught up in emotions that you descend to their level and start acting just like them!

This is a time for you to “put on your parent-teacher hat.” Lovingly deal with that person like a child or a young person who needs to be taught how to respond to authority and who needs guidance and correction from someone who loves him.

And what should you do if you get stirred up and enter into the fray of flesh, allowing yourself to get entrenched in a war of words? Thank God that your own level of maturity has been exposed! Not only does that other person need to grow, but this situation has revealed a flaw in your own character, drawing attention to an obvious area in your own life that needs attention, correction, and a higher level of maturity. So as you pray for that other person to grow, don’t forget to include yourself on your prayer list!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, please help me to be calm, kind, and gentle when I find it necessary to correct people who are under my care. Forgive me for any time that I’ve allowed myself to become angry and exasperated and for those times when I have said things I shouldn’t have allowed myself to speak. Help me act like a real leader, taking a parental-teacher role. I know I am called to help take people to a higher level in their work, their attitudes, and their lives. So help me to be more like You in the way I deal with people who are under my authority and care. As I learn to bring correction to others the way You bring correction into MY life, I will become a good example and the kind of leader You have called me to be.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I have the mind of Christ for every situation I face in life. When it is necessary for me to speak correction to a member of my team, I speak with compassion and love from my heart. I desire the best for every person whom God has placed under my authority and care. Therefore, when I deal with these individuals, I approach them from a standpoint of how I can best help them grow, help them develop, and help them become all God has called them to be. I don’t get angry, frustrated, or exasperated if they get upset; instead, I remain calm, kind, and gentle as I deal with the people whom God has entrusted to my care.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. As you read this today, did your mind drift back to a past situation when you had to correct someone who didn’t respond in the right way to your correction? If so, how did you react to that person’s wrong response?

2. Can you think of a time when someone in authority over you tried to correct you, but you responded in an insubordinate and closed-hearted manner, making it difficult for that person to correct you?

3. As you reflect on times in the past when you’ve had to correct someone, what do you think you could do differently to help people more easily receive your correction in the future? Is there anything in your style of bringing correction that should be changed so people don’t feel intimidated but rather feel embraced and loved by what you are telling them?

…He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
— Hebrews 11:6

Some people never see anything accomplished with their lives because they start and stop too many projects. But Hebrews 11:6 says that God “…is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

If you want to qualify for God’s reward and you know He has called you to do something, you have to be completely committed to pressing forward all the way until you have fully accomplished the assignment. For this, you need diligence to stick with it.

In today’s Sparkling Gem, I want us to take a look at this phrase “diligently seek” and see how diligence is absolutely necessary to see any dream, vision, or calling come to pass. According to this verse, those who diligently seek God and His will are eventually rewarded!

The phrase “diligently seek” is a translation of the Greek word ekzeteo, a compound of ek and zeteo. The first part is the Greek word ek, which means out, and the second word is zeteo, which means to seek. When these words are compounded, the new word means to seek out. As used in Hebrews 11:6, it means to zealously seek for something with all of one’s heart, strength, and might. It conveys the idea of being hard-working, attentive, busy, constant, and persistent in one’s devotion to what he or she is doing.

If you and I take our life assignment lightly — approaching it with a casual, easygoing, take-it-easy, relaxed attitude — we’ll never go far in the fulfillment of our calling or dream. It takes hard work to achieve anything worthwhile, and complaining about how hard it is won’t make the process any easier. I always say, “Live like a slug, and you’ll eat dirt the rest of your life.” So unless we want to “eat a lot of dirt,” we have to make the decision to get up and put our hands to the plow! If you and I are serious about doing what God has told us to do, we must adjust our level of commitment and get to work. Being a hard worker is a part of being diligent.

If you and I want to see our dreams fulfilled, we must give our full attention to what God has called us to do. It must have our full consideration, our undivided attention, and our full mental and spiritual concentration. Ceaseless, around-the-clock, nonstop devotion is essential in order to be diligent.

When we are seriously pursuing what God has told us to do, we won’t have time for wrong attitudes and wrong thinking. To remain diligent, we must be engrossed, totally absorbed, and fully engaged. We must immerse ourselves in faith, prayer, and meditation regarding God’s call on our lives. All of this takes 100 percent of our focus and effort for us to accomplish what God has placed in our hearts. This is part of what it means to be diligent.

Being constant and consistent is also an essential quality needed to diligently pursue your God-given dream. Fickle, flighty, erratic behavior will never produce the fulfillment of God’s will in your life. It takes consistency and determination to push aside the powers of hell and obtain the victory you desire. If you and I constantly fluctuate — wandering back and forth and in and out of faith — we will never reap anything enduring for the Kingdom of God. To produce powerful results, we must be constant in our commitments. We must be “steady-as-she-goes” — fixed, unchanging, and steadfast. It’s all part of being diligent.

Persistence is also a key to remaining diligent. When a person is persistent, he refuses to relent. He is tenaciously immovable, even in the face of opposition, and unbending until his objective is achieved.

Withstanding opposition and braving adversity is just a part of the walk of faith. In order for us to resist attempts to abort our dreams, we must be persistent. This is the kind of commitment required to live and walk in faith.

With this in mind, Hebrews 11:6 could be read:

“God is a Rewarder of those who are hard-working, attentive, busy, constant, and persistent in their pursuit of seeking Him.”

A casual approach will never get you to the triumphant end of the spiritual race God has placed before you. You have to give 100 percent of your focus and energy in order to press through the barriers that will stand against you to keep you from making it to the finish line.

Diligence and all that it entails is a requirement for you to get to a place of victory. So now that we’ve discussed what diligence looks like, it’s essential that you make sure you’re right on track in this area so you can fully accomplish what God has asked you to do. Are you diligently seeking God and His will for your life? This is the perfect day to make sure your answer is yes!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I realize that I can apply more concentrated effort in my pursuit of You and Your will for my life. Thank You, Lord, for revealing to me the areas where I need to make adjustments and how I need to make them. I ask You for clearer revelation of my life’s assignment so I can walk with greater focus and commitment to fulfill that purpose — whatever may be required. Holy Spirit, I ask for and receive Your help to apply diligence and all that it entails. Strengthen me in my inner man to lay aside slothfulness in every area of my life so that I can experience the reward of those who devote themselves to seek Your will with all diligence. I receive fresh grace from you now, in Jesus’ name!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I choose to live diligently, and I refuse to live like a slug! I am zealous and persistent in my pursuit of God’s plan for my life. Instead of being fickle, flighty or erratic, I am hardworking, attentive, busy, and constant! I give earnest attention to being a consistent doer of the Word of God. As a result, my mind is continually being renewed, and my thoughts are conformed to be in agreement with God’s will. I inspect and evaluate my ways on a regular basis. As I do this, I am quick to make any adjustments necessary in order to persevere in the fulfillment of God’s will for my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. If you asked God whether or not He saw diligence working in your life, what would He say to you? Be honest with yourself, because God will be completely honest with you if you ask Him to help you answer this important question.
2. In what ways does your life demonstrate diligence? If you possess this quality, it should be recognizable in your daily life, so identify some ways you show diligence.
3. In what areas do you lack diligence, and what are you willing to do to bring diligence into those aspects of your life? It would be helpful for you to write your thoughts about this question on a piece of paper so your eyes can see them.  That might be uncomfortable for you to do, but if you really want to grow in diligence, you must be willing to confront any area of your life where a lack of this quality still tries to define you.

True Profession Is From the Heart

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

Years ago, I was staying at a pastor’s house while I was preaching in his church. The first day I slept in his home, I became very frustrated early the next morning. About 5 a.m., the telephone started ringing — and it rang and rang and rang. I began to count the rings — thirty rings, forty rings, forty-five rings. Finally on the fiftieth ring, I got up, put on my clothes, and walked down the hallway to the kitchen, mumbling to myself, “If no one else cares enough to get up and answer this telephone, I’ll do it!”

I picked up the receiver and said, “Hello.” But to my amazement, the phone just kept on ringing, even though I was holding the receiver in my hand! Then I noticed that the ringing wasn’t coming from the telephone at all, but from something to my right that was covered with a big white sheet. I pulled the sheet back to look, and there in a big cage was a Grey African parrot looking back at me! It had been mimicking the ringing of the telephone! That parrot sounded just like a telephone, but it was not a telephone!

As I walked back down the hallway to my bedroom, I started thinking about how that parrot reminded me of some people I knew! I’m talking about people who made what sounded like great faith confessions, but who weren’t really in faith at all. Their words sounded right, but they weren’t doing anything but parroting what they had heard someone else say or do. Because there was no faith backing up their words, their confessions were no more real than the ringing telephone coming from the beak of that parrot!

In Hebrews 10:23, the Bible says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith.…” Today I’d like to draw your attention to the word “profession.” It comes from the Greek word homologia, which is a compound of the words homo and logos. The Greek word homo means one of the very same kind. The second part of the word, logos, is the Greek word for words. When these two words are joined together, they form the word homologia, which seems at first to mean to say the same thing.

The King James Version translates the word homologia as the word “profession.” However, this is really inadequate to fully understand what the word homologia means. To capture the comprehensive meaning of the word homologia, it is essential to further consider the word logos. As noted above, it means words.

Let me give you an illustration of the word homologia. I am a writer and have written many books. My words are my thoughts, my convictions, and my beliefs printed on paper. If you read my books and agree with what I have written — with my words — then in essence you are in agreement with me, for those words are me! They are what I think, what I believe, and what I have expressed.

Ultimately, if you like my books and agree with what I’ve written, you are coming into agreement with me, the author. If you take my viewpoint and begin to hold it as your own conviction, it won’t be long until you and I are aligned in our thinking and believing.

After my words have gotten deeply into your heart and you have fully embraced them, those words will soon become your own conviction. Then when you share that information with others, you will no longer be just repeating — or parroting — what you have read in my book. Instead, you will be speaking from the platform of your own heart about what you believe. At that point, you and I will be genuinely aligned in our viewpoints and convictions, talking the same language!

The word “profession” used in Hebrews 10:23 (or “confession,” as it is translated in other scriptures), from the Greek word homologia, is not the picture of a person who simply repeats what someone else says. This is an individual who has gotten God’s Word into his heart and who has come into agreement or alignment with what God says. This person sees a matter like God sees it; hears it like God hears it; feels it like God feels it. Now his heart and God’s heart are so unified on the issue that their hearts are nearly beating in syncopation with each other. Thus, when the believer opens his mouth to “confess” God’s Word, his confession is no longer powerless, empty chatter; instead, it comes from a very deep place of conviction inside his heart.

In light of this, Hebrews 10:23 carries this idea:

“Let us come into agreement with God and then begin to speak what He says, holding tightly to what we confess and refusing to let anyone take it from us.…”

Real confessions are made out of words from God that have been sown into the heart. After a period of meditating and renewing the mind, you finally begin to see it the way that God sees it. You really believe what God believes! And from that place of heartfelt conviction, you then begin to speak and to declare your faith!

You see, when a believer gets God’s Word so deep into his heart that he comes into alignment with it, he is no longer simply muttering empty words or parroting something he has heard when he speaks. Now he speaks boldly from a legitimate place of faith!

Many people make the mistake of going through life repeating what they have heard someone else say without ever developing any depth of faith or understanding behind their words. They say the right things, but because these words come only out of their mouths and not out of their hearts, their confession doesn’t produce results.

Your faith and your mouth must be connected. A mechanical profession doesn’t come from the heart; therefore, it doesn’t bring forth any fruit. True profession must come from your heart before it comes out of your mouth.

How do you avoid making mechanical, mindless confessions?

• First, make certain you have chosen to believe what God says. Commit your mind, heart, and all your strength to believing the Word of God, no matter how crazy it may sound to your natural mind.
• Then ask the Holy Spirit to make God’s Word real to you — so real, in fact, that should anyone even imply that what God said isn’t true, you’d think that person was out of his mind!
• Finally, pick up your Bible and do some serious study and meditation. Sow that Word into your heart until you and God are aligned on the issue. After that alignment comes into being, it’s time for you to open your mouth and start declaring the Word of God over your situation!

Today I want to encourage you to get into God’s Word. Take it deep into your heart and mind, and meditate on it until you and God begin to think alike! Once that Word becomes so real inside you that it becomes your word, it’s time for you to open your mouth and speak to any mountain that stands in your way. As you do, that mountain will be removed!

A faith confession can only be a real mountain-moving confession when it comes from the heart before it comes out of the mouth. If you have planted God’s Word in your heart so that it is now your word as well, you have no need to tarry any longer! Open your mouth, and begin to confess what God has promised you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to get Your Word so deep into my heart that it becomes MY word! I want to see things the way You see them, hear things the way You hear them, and feel things the way You feel them. I want to get so aligned with You that our hearts beat in syncopation together. I thank You that once Your Word gets that deeply rooted in my heart, my spoken words will release rivers of power and authority against the works of the devil that he has designed for my destruction! I thank You that just as Your words created the universe, my spoken words of faith create a change in my atmosphere!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly confess that God’s Word is deeply rooted inside my heart and soul. My mind is being renewed to the truth, and I am being changed. What I used to think, I no longer think; what I used to believe, I no longer believe. Now I base my life on the eternal truths contained in God’s Word. I take the Word deep into my heart and soul where it inwardly transforms me. When I open my mouth to speak, I don’t speak empty, mindless words; instead, my words come from a deeply held conviction and therefore release power to set the answers I need in motion!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have there been times when you have found yourself so aligned with God’s Word that when you spoke, the words you released literally caused a change in your situation? What was that situation, and what happened when you spoke forth words of faith?

2. On the other hand, can you remember a time when you just mindlessly parroted what someone else said and nothing happened? What did you learn from that experience?

3. From what you have read today, what must you do in order to be able to speak a true confession of faith?

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?
— 2 Corinthians 10:7

Denise and I decided to attend an art auction in Moscow simply because we wanted to do something fun and different. We were not going to purchase art, but we thought it might be fun to observe how an event like an art auction would be conducted. We figured it would be a high-class event, so we dressed accordingly. We got into the car, headed across town, and arrived in the location where the auction was to be conducted. We arrived a little early, so we walked through the gallery — flabbergasted at the asking prices of the art that was to be auctioned that evening.

When it was time for the auction to begin, we made our way to our seats. Before everything started, I looked around to see what kind of people were there to participate that evening. By the way most people were dressed, I never would have imagined they had any money. Denise and I were the best-dressed people in the place, and we were there only as observers! From all outward appearances, we were the ones who looked affluent, and the people who had big money to spend looked like they had dropped by the auction on the way to a picnic!

When the auction started, it wasn’t long until the auctioneer starting pounding the podium with his gavel. “SOLD!” he said, over and over again. The man sitting in front of me wore sneakers, jeans, and a wrinkled shirt, and he held in his hand a list of paintings he intended to “war” over and take home that night. I could hardly believe my eyes and ears as that young man lifted his auction card again and again to bid for pieces of art. Within moments, he had spent a fortune on paintings. But the final shock was when an unshaven and disheveled-looking man across the room from us paid nearly $1,000,000 for two abstract paintings that were so ugly, I wouldn’t have hung them in our garage!

When the event was over, I meandered through the small crowd so I could get a closer look at the people who had paid these whopping prices for art that evening. None of them looked like he or she had any money. Most of them looked like they needed fashion assistance! From all outward appearances, I wouldn’t have thought any of them had a dime to spare.

Denise and I went to the car to head home. When we got into the car and looked at each other, we were speechless at first. We just didn’t know what to say about the enormous sums of money people spent more quickly than we could blink — or about the unimpressive way these enormously rich people were dressed that evening. One lesson we clearly learned that evening: Looks can be deceiving!

This experience made me ponder the number of people we encounter in life who are much more powerful internally than they look outwardly. Just consider the apostle Paul! We have no illustrations or photos of what Paul looked like, but from what he wrote about himself in Second Corinthians 10:10, we can surmise that he wasn’t among the best-looking of his day. In fact, Paul actually quoted an opponent who laughed at his physical appearance and voice. Paul told them in essence, “I’ve heard what you’ve said about me. You say, ‘…His bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’”

The words “bodily presence” is a translation of the Greek words parousia tou somatos, which may be better translated, “the mere appearance of his body.” Paul’s opponents were not impressed with his physical body! They called it “weak.” The word “weak” that Paul quotes here is the Greek word astheneo, which can mean physically weak, but it can also mean dubious, defective, or questionable in appearance. It could actually be rendered, “the appearance of his body is a little puzzling.”

It appears that they were laughing at Paul’s physical body; yet it was that same physical body that had carried the power of God wherever he went. The external “package” may not have been very impressive to the apostle’s opponents, but it contained the dynamic power of God! So Paul warned them, “You better be careful about judging me by my exterior appearance, because when I come to you the next time, you will find out how much power is contained inside this body!” (to paraphrase Paul’s words in Second Corinthians 10:2,11).

Apparently they were also laughing at Paul’s voice or the way he spoke, because he said, “I hear you saying that my speech is contemptible.” The word “speech” is the word logos, which means words but in this case most likely means his voice or possibly his manner of speech. The word “contemptible” is the Greek word exoutheneo, which means awful, despicable, disgusting, or horrible.

What was it about Paul’s voice or his way of speaking that some people loathed so much? We don’t know, but something in his manner of speech or what his voice sounded like made them say that listening to him was disgusting! Yet it was this voice that first preached the Gospel to them and brought them out of spiritual darkness into spiritual light! We don’t know what Paul sounded like, but regardless of his voice’s tenor, depth, or tone — and regardless of how Paul articulated his message — it had been the voice of this apostle that had been the vehicle to bring the knowledge of God’s power and love to the Corinthians and to people all over the Roman Empire.

There may have been weaknesses in Paul’s physical appearance and vocal abilities, but his interior was mighty and powerful. People could mock all they wanted, but his opponents were never able to match what he accomplished because he was so inwardly filled with divine power and revelation. His opponents may have been more physically attractive, but inwardly they simply couldn’t measure up to what Paul carried within himself.

That night at the art auction, Denise and I outwardly looked like the ones who had money to spend, and the people who actually possessed the necessary resources to purchase that expensive art didn’t look impressive at all. Judging by appearances, we would have missed it altogether. It was an amazing night of learning anew that a person’s outward package may not always tell the truth about what he or she is carrying on the inside.

I want to encourage you not to judge yourself too harshly by your exterior appearance. Do all you can to make yourself look better. But when you’re done with improvements and there’s nothing else you can do, you must remember that your inward man is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Remember this truth also when you meet others. It is simply a fact that you will meet some people who look very impressive but are inwardly empty. And you will meet others who look very unimpressive but are among those who will change the world! So determine today to judge first yourself and then everyone else you know in life not by external appearances, but by the heart, just as God does. That one decision alone will help you see more clearly in every situation and keep you from evaluating yourself and those around you according to low-level human standards!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I admit that I’ve judged others by what they look like externally, and today I am asking You to forgive me. I’m sure that others have thought they could figure me out by what they see, yet have missed it many times. Please help me do all I can to improve my outward appearance, but help me remember that I carry Your power and the revelation of Your Word inside me and that there is more to me than meets the eye!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit and that the power and the life of God live inside me. I carry within me the authority of the name of Jesus; my voice is an instrument that speaks life; and I am filled with divine treasures. Just as I do not want others to judge me by my external appearance, I will no longer judge others only by what my eyes see. From this moment forward, I will remember and live by the truth that there is more than meets the eye in me and in those whom I meet.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever met individuals who totally disarmed you because from outward appearances, you didn’t expect them to be as talented or gifted as you found out they were?
2. How does it make you feel if you think others are judging you entirely by outward appearances? Do you want to run and hide, do you feel embarrassed, or does it make you want to stand up on the inside and show them who you really are?
3. Make a list of Bible characters who seemed weak or whom people deemed insignificant yet God used them mightily as history-changers.

Isolation —A Tool The Devil Uses To Discourage People

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.
— Hebrews 10:24

My wife and I heard from various sources that a young missionary girl was depressed and discouraged. We were both shocked when we heard it because she always seemed so “up” about everything. She always flashed a big smile on her face; her voice was vivacious; and she seemed full of energy. When we were told that she was struggling with depression, we immediately made an appointment to talk to her and to see how we might encourage her in the Lord.

We asked this young woman, “Are you all right? Is there anything going on with you that we need to know about?”

She answered, “I’ll be all right. It’s just that I give, give, give and give every ounce of my strength to people, and it just seems like no one ever gives back to me. I’ve been pretty lonely, and that has made me feel very discouraged.”

With some people, it is easy to know when they are discouraged. But when people are vivacious, life-giving, and effervescent like this young lady, it becomes more difficult to discern when they are struggling with discouraging thoughts. People like this project such confidence and victory that we tend to forget they have feelings just like everyone else. Unfortunately, we often wrongly assume they don’t need anything when, in fact, they are very needy.

This is why you should pray for sensitivity to recognize the needs of those around you. In fact, it would be a good idea to stop right now and ask the Lord to give you the sensitivity to recognize those times when the people in your life need an encouraging word.

This precious young lady was ministering to everyone around her, but she herself was feeling isolated and secluded. Because she was perceived to be so strong, no one dreamed that she was discouraged. As a result, no one reached out to her until discouragement was already a reality she struggled with in her life.

Everyone needs encouragement! That’s why the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to “…consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24). The word “consider” is the Greek word katanoeo, a compound of the words kata and noeo. The word kata is a preposition that means down. It describes something that is moving downward and can also describe a dominating force. The second part of the word is the Greek word noeo, from the word nous, which refers to the mind. When these two words are linked together, it means to thoroughly consider something; to think something through from the top to the bottom; to think hard about something; or to deeply ponder a matter. In other words, the word katanoneo does not represent a momentary shallow thought. A person engaged in this type of thought process is focused and concentrated. His attention has been completely captured, and he is seriously contemplating the matter at hand.

So when God urges us to “consider one another,” He is saying we are to be so concerned about each other’s welfare that we take time to regularly and seriously contemplate how we might encourage one another. If we truly care about the people in our lives, we should notice when their countenance has changed, when they don’t seem as “up” as usual, or when they begin to skip church services. Because of our genuine care for others, we should make it our aim to think through from beginning to end the question of how we might become a greater source of blessing and strength for others.

The local church is designed by God to be a spiritual family where people sincerely love and are mindful of each other’s needs. We should not only know each other’s dream and desires, but we should pray often for those dreams to come to pass and check to see how things are progressing.

Church should be a place where everyone is committed to being a blessing to one another. If each member of a local church family took this approach, observing and contemplating each other’s needs this thoroughly, it would be very hard for discouragement to find its way into the family of God. In fact, a situation like the one described above with the young missionary girl would almost be unheard of! Instead, Christians would be able to perceive when someone was starting to sink and begin to lift that person back up to a place of strength!

Therefore, Hebrews 10:24 could be taken to mean:

“Carefully observe one another, contemplating each other’s situation and needs, diagnosing the other person’s situation, and contemplating how you can stir him or her to love and good deeds.”

We all like to be cared for and appreciated, but let’s not forget that there are others around us who need encouragement just as much as we do. We shouldn’t be led by our eyes only! Everyone who smiles isn’t always happy.

If you’ll be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and truly be concerned about the people who are close to you, God will show you when they need a special word to lift their spirits. Think how much it means to you when someone deliberately goes way out of his or her normal daily routine to let you know you are appreciated. Isn’t it powerful when someone does this for you? Well, just as you need people who will love you, be sensitive to your needs, and support you when you are struggling through challenges or feeling tired and worn out, the people you encounter in your daily life have those same exact needs.

It’s time to let the Holy Spirit use you to be a source of encouragement to others — and you can start by letting Him use you to be a blessing to someone today!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, forgive me for being so self-centered that I forget to think about other people’s needs. I get so fixated on my own problems that I forget I am not the only person in the world who is struggling with a situation. Help me to take my eyes off myself and to look around me to see who needs a special word of encouragement. Holy Spirit, open my eyes and help me be sensitive in my spirit to recognize people who need a tender touch. So many times I’ve freely received help from others. Now I want to freely give what I have received.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that I am sensitive to the needs of others. God uses me to encourage people who are around me. As I become more Christ-like, I am less aware of me and more aware of those who are around me. Because God’s Spirit lives inside me, all the wonderful fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance — reside in me and flow through me to others. I am aware of others. I think of them; I ask about them; I pray for them; and I treat them with the greatest love, care, and attention.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever felt isolated and lonely and wished that someone would reach out to check on you? If yes, did anyone ever check on you, or did you feel abandoned in your time of need?

2. How long has it been since you deviated from your normal course of affairs to go check on someone else and let that person know you have been thinking about him or her?

3. What can you do today to specially communicate that you are concerned about someone else’s welfare? Write down several ideas, such as sending flowers, writing a note, calling someone on the telephone, etc.

Rejuvenated by the Spirit of God!

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
— Romans 8:11

Recently I was thinking of the pressures and stresses that affect so many people’s lives.  People live their lives in their cars as they spend endless hours on expressways each day. They take their kids back and forth to school and to sports events; they go to church functions, to the grocery store, and back and forth to work. This constant movement puts a lot of stress on the mind and body. Yet there seems to be no option but to constantly try to keep up with the hectic pace!

Then when you finally get home in the evening, you can’t really rest. After all, the bills must be paid; the house must be maintained; the yard needs mowing; dishes need washing; dinner needs to be cooked; groceries have to be put away; the children need special attention and discipline. Walking through the door of the house at the end of the work day does not mean your work is finished. You have switched to a different kind of work.

Then there are still church responsibilities. You want to be faithful to your church and serve in as many areas as possible. Church is important and should be treated as such. But often you have expended so much energy on all the other important matters of life that when you finally get around to church, you feel exhausted and unmotivated. This makes you feel guilty and even condemned for not being more excited about serving the Lord in a practical way at church. But it isn’t really a question of desire; it’s a question of energy. Already your body and mind have almost been pushed to the brink!

Then there are family responsibilities. If you have an elderly person in your family, you know that this requires attention and energy too. Of course you want to do this!  This isn’t an obligation; it is a privilege to take care of older family members. Nevertheless, it still takes time and energy. And if you live in an area where you are close to cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and grandparents, you must also work all these precious people into the schedule. Birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, weddings — all of these are part of your family responsibilities that require your time, energy, and finances.

How about your friendship responsibilities? Friendships require time and attention. As a good friend, you want to be there for your friend’s good times and bad times. You probably believe that you shoud be available when they need to talk about a problem. You want to spend time with your friends because you need and enjoy their fellowship. But all this requires time and energy as well.

Don’t forget your financial challenges and pressures. Life is expensive. Car insurance, life insurance, house payments, credit card payments, groceries, electricity and air-conditioning bills, expenses for the kids to play sports or go to summer camp, clothes for growing children, repairs on the car — and on and on it goes. Plus, you must be faithful in paying your tithes to your church, and you want to give special offerings to other ministries too.

One of Satan’s greatest weapons is discouragement, and he knows exactly when to use it. He waits until you are tired, weak, and susceptible to his lies. Then he hits you hard in your emotions, trying to tell you that you are accomplishing nothing valuable in life.

In those moments when I feel physically exhausted and yet I see no pause in my schedule, I turn to Romans 8:11 for encouragement. It says, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

I especially focus on the phrase that says, “…he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies….” Our mortal bodies simply have limitations, and there is nothing we can do about it. These limitations are one of the reasons we become physically tired. But in those moments when we need extra strength to keep going, this verse promises that the Holy Spirit will “quicken” our mortal bodies.

The word “quicken” is the Greek word zoopoieo, from the word zoe and poieo. The word zoe is the Greek word for life, and it often describes the life of God. The word poieo means to do. When these two words are compounded together, it means to make alive with life. It carries the idea to revitalize, to rejuvenate, or to refresh with new life!

This means that if you will yield to the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, He will supernaturally revitalize you. He will rejuvenate you. He will refresh you with a brand-new surge of supernatural life. He will fill you with so much resurrection power that you will be ready to get up and go again!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I admit that I need a fresh surge of supernatural power in my life right now. I ask You to release the resurrection power of Jesus Christ that resides in my spirit. Let it flow up into my body and mind so I can be rejuvenated and recharged with enough power to fulfill all the responsibilities and duties that lie before me. I know that in my own strength, I can’t do everything that is required of me in the days ahead. But I also know that with Your supernatural power working in me, I will be able to do everything You have asked me to do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God’s Spirit is quickening my mortal flesh and rejuvenating me with enough strength to fulfill all the duties and responsibilities that lie ahead of me. I am not weak. I am not tired. I am refreshed. I am strengthened. I am filled with power. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in me, there is not a single moment when I don’t have everything that I need!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1.  Have you been feeling a little depleted lately? If so, have you asked the Holy Spirit to release resurrection power in you so that you can be supernaturally rejuvenated?

2.  Can you think of one particular time when you were physically exhausted, but in one instant you were so filled with life and power that your weakness left and you were magnificently empowered?

3. Instead of shutting this book and running to your next thing to do, why don’t you take a few minutes and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with power right now? 

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
— Matthew 24:7,8

For me, there is no doubt that we are living at the end of the Church Age. It is a fact that many world-shaking events will occur before the coming of the Lord, and we’ve already witnessed many of them. In recent years, the world has experienced many upheavals and disasters that have left many believers reeling and wondering if the coming of Christ is imminent. Fortunately, the Bible provides clear guidance on this topic in numerous passages throughout the Old and New Testament.

In fact, Jesus Himself prophesied about state of the world in the last days. In Matthew 24:7 and 8, He said, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Notice the phrase “beginning of sorrows” in this verse. This word “sorrows” is the Greek word oodin, and it specifically describes the labor pains a pregnant woman experiences before she gives birth. However, Jesus called this period in time the “beginning of sorrows” — not the end of sorrows. The Greek word for “beginning” is arche, which in this particular case simply means a starting point. By using this word, Jesus was teaching that the events described in verse 7 would mark the beginning of an undefined period of time that would transpire before the coming of Christ. He does not give us a specific timeframe, but He does reveal signs and indicators that will let us know when we have entered into this turbulent period. It is important to understand that just because some of these events are occurring today, it doesn’t mean we have reached the end — it simply means the process has begun.

As we approach the end of the Church Age, Jesus said the world will begin to feel stress and pressure like a woman preparing to give birth to a baby. Let’s think for a moment about the process of giving birth. A woman’s pains start slowly then gradually grow stronger and stronger. Finally, her whole body is pushing downward to deliver that child. At the last moment, the pains come quickly, and they are intense. This is the indicator that she is right at the moment of delivery.

Likewise, as the world comes closer and closer to the end of the age, the pains in the world will become greater. These pains will become more intense and more frequent. As these grow in intensity and frequency, they are a signal that we are approaching the time when Jesus will return for the Church.

The Bible outlines many events that will occur in the last days (see Matthew 24, Luke 21, and 2 Timothy 3), but does Scripture give us a primary sign that will mark the uttermost conclusion of the age and imminent return of Jesus? And if so, what is it?

The only sure sign of Jesus’ imminent return is found in Matthew 24:14, where He proclaimed, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

The very last sign Jesus gave concerning right before His imminent return was the preaching of the Gospel all over the world. That’s how we can get a good idea of how close we are to the return of Jesus: the extent to which the Gospel is being preached all over the world! Jesus clearly said that when the Gospel is preached unto all the nations, “then shall the end come.” If we want to know how close we are to the coming of Jesus, we must look to the nations. How well we are penetrating and reaching them with the Gospel tells us how close we are to the end! When the whole world has had a witness of the Gospel, then the end shall come according to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must be very careful as we approach the future. Jesus admonished us in Matthew 24:6, “See that ye are not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” We must not let the noises surrounding us throw us into a state of turmoil or panic. We are people of faith, and we know the end of the story before it even begins! We must keep our eyes on the Lord and our minds on the Word because we have a faith that overcomes the world (see 1 John 5:4)!

Jesus said the last, greatest sign of His return is when all the nations of the earth have had a witness of the Gospel. So don’t let negative news reports make you think it’s all over, because it’s not over until that last nation has had an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!

Since this is true, it makes sense, then, that the devil would be actively trying to make believers fearful about the future so they will stop sowing seed. It’s to his advantage if he can get believers to succumb to a fear-riddled mindset of self-preservation and abort their harvests of financial well-being. Not only would that hinder the fulfilling of their own God-given callings and destinies, but it would also hinder the spread of the Gospel and thus delay the coming of Jesus.

Of course the devil doesn’t want the nations to hear the Good News! Do you realize how close we are to the whole world having heard the Gospel? He wants to stop it and sidetrack us so we’ll stop what we’re doing!

By luring us to stop sowing seed, the devil also ensures that we jeopardize any future financial harvest in our own lives. Therefore, when times get hard and supernatural provision is needed, it won’t be there because there is no seed in the ground to bless and multiply!

Don’t let the devil do this to you!

Sowing seed will keep you financially blessed through any storm that lies ahead. If you allow fear to dictate your giving and forget the masses of desperate, unsaved people for whom Jesus died, you will only end up hurting yourself. Your financial gifts have the power to save nations!

Neither the wind nor the clouds of this dark spiritual climate are to determine our obedience to God! As Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow: and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.”

We cannot let the political or financial climate of the world dictate whether or not we keep sowing seed to allow the Word of God to reach the lost nations of the world. There has never been a greater opportunity for spreading the Gospel across the world than right now. All over the planet, people are crying for someone to bring them the truth of Jesus Christ. The whole world knows something is happening; they just don’t know what it is! They don’t understand that the earth is crying out for Jesus to return. So we must go tell them!

The problems of the world are real, and we would be foolish not to prepare. But we are also foolish if we trust in riches and move into a self-protective mode. We must keep our hearts and priorities right, regardless of what we hear around us. We must not let the devil push us back into retreat. And we must keep pushing forward — aggressively reaching toward the goal of preaching the Gospel to the ends of the earth. When that goal is achieved, Jesus will come!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for the privilege of contributing toward the spread of the Gospel across the earth. I ask You to help me always put first things first. Help me focus on Heaven’s priorities — souls — so that I will not become distracted by the cares of this life or the pressures and anxieties of this age. Teach me how to prepare for the difficult times to come without slipping into self-preservation. I submit myself to You, Father, and I resist the spirit of fear. As I receive Your wisdom and grace, I follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance to do my part in building the Kingdom of God and hastening Christ’s return.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I consistently sow financial seed into the work of preaching Jesus Christ among the nations. I strengthen the work of missionary outreaches throughout the earth through my participation in prayer and offerings. As I do my part to spread the Gospel, I am helping to hasten His return. I remain focused without distraction — and bold without fear — to occupy until He comes.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you believe the coming of Jesus for His Church is near? What makes you believe this? What are the signs that really speak to your heart, that make you believe Jesus is coming soon?
2. Do you regularly give to missions or to missionary organizations that are spreading the good news of the Gospel to the ends of the earth? Do you believe that you have a financial responsibility to give to missions?
3. How do you perceive that your giving affects people in other parts of the world?

Is Jesus Christ a Fairy Tale to You, Or Do You Really Know Him?

…In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
— 1 Corinthians 1:5,6

The State Hermitage, which is the most famous of all Russian museums, is located on the banks of the Neva River in St. Petersburg, Russia. Within its walls is a huge collection of religious paintings that were collected from the time of Catherine the Great. This museum, the former Winter Palace of the Russian czars, is fabulous beyond description and attracts millions of visitors who come to view this world-renowned art collection and to see the opulence in which the czars lived.

The first time I visited the Hermitage was near the end of the Soviet Union; thus, communism and atheism were still dominant in the nations that comprised the former USSR. As I walked past the section of paintings by Rembrandt, I saw the painting of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus. The painting was so moving that it drew me nearer to observe the painting from up close. Then I read the plaque on the base of the frame, which said, “The Fairy Tale of Jesus Christ Raising Lazarus From the Dead.” I was stunned that Lazarus’ resurrection was referred to as a fairy tale.

But as I moved from that painting of Jesus to others that depicted scenes from Jesus’ life, I realized that they were all officially identified by State authorities as various “fairy tales of Jesus Christ.” Communists wanted to discredit the Gospel. By calling the works of Jesus “fairy tales,” they were attempting to put the Gospel on the same level as Peter Pan or as Little Red Riding Hood.

However, my experience in the museum that day caused my mind to start thinking in another direction. I began to consider how so much about Jesus Christ really is a fairy tale to many people, including Christians who read their Bible and love the Lord. When they read about the miracles He performed, they relegate His miracle-working power to a limited historical time frame that is long past and to a people who are no longer alive. They then conclude that they cannot expect such miracles today. Thus, the only thing they really know regarding Jesus’ power is what they have read in the Bible. Never having personally witnessed His miracle-working power, they can only fantasize and try to imagine what His miracles must have been like. As a result, much of what they know about Jesus is purely mental, imaginary, or speculative — similar to the way they might view the hero in a fairy tale or legend.

But God never intended for Jesus to be only a historical figure who did something in the past. Jesus is alive today, and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His gifts, Jesus brings His supernatural reality right into the midst of the local church! This is why Paul told the Corinthians, “…In everything you are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you” (1 Corinthians 1:5,6).

The Corinthian church was so abundantly endowed with spiritual gifts that Paul says they were “enriched” by Jesus with gifts of utterance and knowledge. “Utterance gifts” would include the vocal gifts, such as tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. Knowledge gifts would include the revelation gifts, such as the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits. Prophecy could also fall into this category.

According to Paul, the Corinthian believers were loaded with these types of gifts. In fact, they had so many of these gifts in operation that Paul used the word “enriched” to express the extent to which these gifts were operating in that particular local church. The word “enriched” is from the Greek word plousios, and it means to make extremely rich (see January 23). It describes incredible abundance, extreme wealth, immense riches, magnificent opulence, and extravagant lavishness.

This Greek word denoted people whose wealth was growing so fast that they were never able to quite figure out how much fortune they possessed. With their wealth, they ruled and controlled society. Hence came the word “plutocrat,” which is used in today’s world to portray a person who is endowed with great wealth, opulence, fortune, and power.

When Paul uses the word plousios to express how many gifts of the Spirit were in operation in Corinth, he is telling us that this church was filthy rich with spiritual gifts and manifestations. In fact, Paul went on to say, “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7). The words “come behind” are taken from the Greek word hustereo, meaning to fall short, to be inferior, to be left behind, to lack, or to come in second place. Paul uses this word to say, “In regard to spiritual gifts, you are second to none when it comes to the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit. No one has more gifts of the Spirit in operation than you do.”

Paul told them that these gifts were vital, for they “confirmed” the “testimony” of Christ among them (1 Corinthians 1:6). The word “confirmed” is the Greek word bebaioo, which means to make firm, concrete, or stable; to authenticate; to verify; to guarantee; or to prove to be true. The word “testimony,” from the Greek word maturios, describes a personal testimony that is so strong, it could stand up to scrutiny in a court of law. But when a “testimony” (maturios) is “confirmed” (bebaioo), it is extra powerful! Now we not only have a witness — that is, a person or a group of people who possess concrete knowledge and facts — but we also have confirming evidence brought forth to validate their knowledge and verify that their report is bona fide truth.

Now let’s connect this concept to the gifts of the Spirit in the Corinthian church. According to Paul’s account, the believers in that church were enriched, loaded, and mightily endowed with the gifts of the Spirit. These gifts, he said, confirmed the testimony of Jesus Christ in their midst. What did they know of Jesus Christ? What was the testimony they possessed and proclaimed about Jesus Christ? From a historical perspective, they had been taught and therefore knew that:

•  Jesus was a Prophet.
•  Jesus was a Healer.
• Jesus was a Miracle-Worker.

However, the Corinthian church didn’t just intellectually know these things about Jesus because of books they had read. They experientially knew Him in this way because the gifts of the Spirit literally energized and authenticated what they intellectually knew of Jesus.

By means of the Spirit’s manifestations, Jesus the Prophet operated before them all in their church services. They didn’t need to fantasize about what Jesus the Prophet was like, because Jesus the Prophet regularly operated in their midst through the gift of prophecy. They didn’t have to try to imagine what it had been like when Jesus healed the sick, because the gifts of healing mightily functioned among them, causing them to experientially know Jesus the Healer. There was no reason for them to speculate about what it must have been like to see Jesus’ miracles, for they consistently had the working of miracles operating in their church services, making Jesus the Miracle-Worker a reality to them. The gifts of the Spirit lifted Jesus right off the pages of history and brought Him into the midst of the Corinthian church services.

First Corinthians 1:6 could be translated:

“Everything you’ve heard and believed about Jesus Christ has been authenticated, proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, verified, and guaranteed to be true because of the gifts of the Spirit.”

What does all this have to do with you and your relationship with God today? If there is no operation of the Holy Spirit’s gifts in your life or in the church you attend, an entire supernatural element of Jesus Christ is missing from your life. God never intended for your salvation to exist only on an intellectual level. He gave the Holy Spirit to the Church to bring the overflowing, abundant life of Jesus Christ right into the life of His people! There is a whole level of understanding Jesus — who He is and how He operates — that can only be comprehended by observing and participating in the working of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit wants to confirm everything you know about Jesus. He wants you to know Jesus the Prophet, Jesus the Healer, and Jesus the Miracle-Worker. When these gifts operate through you or on your behalf through someone else, they give testimony to the fact that Jesus is still alive, still healing, and still working miracles today. Thus, by means of these marvelous spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit both teaches you and speaks on behalf of Jesus Christ.

So are you ready for the Jesus of the Bible to step off the pages of history and into your life or into the life of your church? If the answer is yes, ask the Holy Spirit to start moving supernaturally in your midst. And if you sense an inner nudge to step out in faith and let God use you in spiritual gifts, don’t hesitate to obey. That’s the Holy Spirit talking to you! Perhaps it’s your turn to step forth and allow the Spirit of God to work supernaturally through you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for the ministry of the Holy Spirit and for His powerful gifts that make Jesus so real to me. Help me understand my need for the Spirit’s gifts. Arouse a spiritual hunger inside me that makes me earnestly yearn to experience more of these gifts in my life and in my church. I know You gave the gifts of the Spirit because we need them, so today I am choosing to open my heart so I can experience more of Your power as these supernatural gifts begin to flow through me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am a vessel for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts operate through me and bring the living reality of Jesus Christ to me and to those who are around me. I am not afraid to obey what the Holy Spirit prompts me to say. I am not hesitant to act when the Spirit prompts me to step out in faith. Because I obey the leading of the Spirit, God’s power mightily flows through me to others who are in need.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever thought that the miracles of the Bible were for a different time, not something you were supposed to experience on a consistent basis in your life or in your church?

2. Can you ever recall a time in your life when the gifts of the Spirit operated through you? If so, what was that experience like?

3. In order for you to become a more yielded vessel so the Holy Spirit can use you, what changes do you need to make personally in the way you think and the way you believe?

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
— 1 Timothy 3:15

Today I want us to look at the meaning of the word “church” as it was understood in the First Century AD when the Church was first emerging. This teaching goes a little deeper than we usually go — but for lovers of the New Testament, it will be filled with insight and revelation.

The term that the Holy Spirit chose to describe the newly emerging Christian community was the Greek word ekklesia. This word is a compound of the Greek words ek and kaleo. The word ek conveys the idea of an exit or a separation, and the word kaleo means to beckon, to call, to invite, or to summon. When these two words are joined, they form the word ekklesia, which describes those who are called and separated to a prestigious assembly.

The earliest examples of the word ekklesia is found in writings about Athens, where it was used to denote a prestigious assembly of Athenian citizens who regularly met to discuss civil matters. At these meetings, the distinguished citizens determined laws, debated public policy, formulated new policies, argued and ruled in judicial matters, elected the chief magistrates of the land, decided who should be banished, and so on. To be called out from society and invited to be a member of this assembly was a great honor.

The reason the Holy Spirit chose the word ekklesia to describe God’s people becomes more and more evident as one studies this subject. The New Testament meaning of ekklesia is clear: The local church is a body of individuals who have been called out, called forth, and separated for the purposes of God. The church is God’s assembly in every town and city — composed of people who have been saved and called out to make eternal decisions that will affect the very atmosphere of their local region.

God never intended for the local church to be simply a quiet, hidden body of believers. Rather, He intended for a church to be His voice and ruling power in each community — a special assembly comprised of people who have been called out to make decisions that will impact the atmosphere of their local environment for God.

Therefore, when the New Testament used the word ekklesia to depict the local church, it is conveying an incredibly important message right from the start: God’s plan for each congregation was not that they hide and cower in fear, but rather that they rise to a position of power and influence in the place where God had called them to fulfill their specific assignment for their region. The church was intended to be a brilliant beacon of light in the midst of dark and troubled towns, cities, and regions.

The believers in the early New Testament were suffering terribly as a direct consequence of persecution. Church meetings had to be conducted in secret because swift retribution would be brought upon them if their actions were ever made known. Yet despite the fact that these believers were suffering immensely and forced to meet in secret, Christ still acknowledged them for who they were — His ekklesia, called out from the world and separated to exercise spiritual power over the bleak and seemingly hopeless atmosphere that surrounded them.

Regardless of how dark and oppressive the situation seemed to be or how much these believers struggled, it didn’t change Jesus’ view of them. They were His precious, appointed ekklesia — His governing body in their respective towns, cities, and regions. And that is still how Jesus views the local church! Each body of believers has its own specific assignment, and each believer is assigned to a specific ekklesia! All local bodies fit within a larger common purpose: that of furthering the Kingdom of God on this earth by equipping the saints and being an influence of God’s truth and righteousness to a lost world.

So I encourage you to ask yourself today: Do I know in my heart that I am planted firmly in my God-ordained company of believers? Am I positioned in the ekklesia that holds His assignment for this season of my life? Then renew your commitment to be all God has called you to be to help the ekklesia to which He has joined you extend its influence. As that local body extends His voice into the surrounding culture, the spiritual atmosphere of that region will be changed to the glory of His name!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for saving me and calling me to be a member of Your precious Church. Help me see Your Church the way You see it — anointed, precious, and powerful. I ask You to help me be faithful in the church where You have planted me so that I will flourish as I use my gifts and talents there and do all I can to be a positive contributing member. In conjunction with everyone else in our church, I ask You to help us be an expression of Your voice that affects the city where I live.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I love the church where God has called me. I use my gifts and talents to help in the various ministries and departments of the church. I give my tithes and offerings there, as God commands me to do in His Word. I pray for my pastor and listen carefully as he preaches what he believes God has to say to us each week. When he looks for someone on whom he can depend, my pastor knows that I am one he can turn to rely upon. I declare that our church is growing, is getting stronger and stronger, and that we are becoming a greater light to our city.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. So what did you learn new about the word “church” today? Was any of this new information and insight for you? What was the primary thing you gained from reading it?
2. How does what you read in today’s Sparkling Gem affect your view of the local church and the role of your pastor?
3. After reading what a privilege it was to be a member of the early ekklesia, how does this affect your view of your membership in your local church?

The Right Way To Die!

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
— 2 Timothy 4:7

When I was just old enough to get a job, I heard about a job opening at the huge cemetery just down the street from where my family lived. The old caretaker needed someone to mow the cemetery lawn. So one day I walked down to the cemetery and knocked on the door at the caretaker’s residence. When he came to the door, I said, “Sir, I understand there’s a job opening here. I’ve come to apply for that position.”

The old man, who had been the caretaker for more than forty years, looked me over and asked me a few questions. Then he told me to report to work on the following Monday.

That following Monday I started my short career at the local graveyard — my first real job! Every day after school, I quickly dashed down the hallway to put my books in my locker, and then rushed across town to the cemetery, pulled out my lawnmower, and went to the next section of the cemetery that needed to be mowed. Five days a week, I lived and worked among the dead!

Each day, I mowed and edged the weeds around new graves, old graves, mausoleums, and one section of the cemetery that was so old, no one could decipher the inscriptions on the limestone markers any longer. When it was time to bury someone, I helped dig the grave, lower the casket, and fill the grave with dirt. When the flowers wilted that loved ones had placed on the graves, I was the one who gathered up the dead flowers and took them to the garbage. I helped put up the tent that loved ones stood under during gravesite rites, and then I helped take it down.

Working in a graveyard had a very strong effect on my life in those formative years. God used that time in the graveyard to make me think about the seriousness and temporal nature of life in general, as well as what I was going to do with my own life.

As I walked between the tombstones, I’d look at them and ask myself, Who were these people? What did they do with their lives? Did they contribute anything to the world, or did they just live, die, and then disappear into these graves? Every day I thought about these questions. It made me determine that I would not pass from this earth without doing something significant for God with my life. I resolved that when I died, no one would have to ask, “Gee, I wonder who he was and what he did with his life?” To me, it was totally unacceptable that I would end up like so many others had — as just another name on another tombstone.

People don’t like to think about dying, yet death is a reality each of us ultimately has to face. We may hope and wait for Jesus’ return in our lifetime. But if He doesn’t come before we die, then a day will come in all our futures when we will be laid in a coffin. Family and friends will come to our funeral services; the casket lid will be closed for the last time; and we will be lowered into a grave that will then get packed with dirt. Later our graves will have grass growing on top of them — and a young boy will push the lawnmower over them as a part of his job, just as I did years ago.

Like it or not, there is a funeral in all our futures unless Jesus comes while we are still alive. This thought may sound morbid, but if you live with this unavoidable fact before you at all times, it will help you to live a more balanced and committed life. Why is that? Because when you live thinking only of today, everything seems monumental. Yet the truth is, most of the things that steal our peace, hinder us from doing what God wants us to do, disrupt our joy, and hurt our relationships won’t matter anymore when we die and stand before Jesus. The only thing that will matter then is what Jesus will say to us when we stand before Him and look into His eyes.

The apostle Paul told us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Because Paul lived with the awareness of that moment when he would stand before Jesus, he was able to keep pushing ahead even when times became exceedingly difficult. He knew that eventually life would pass and the difficult trials would end, and he would stand before Jesus to give account for his life.

This is why Paul wrote, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I love this verse, because it sheds light on Paul’s attitude toward life and afflictions. He didn’t like afflictions and he stood against them, but he refused to over-magnify them, choosing instead to view them as “light afflictions.”

Would you call Paul’s problems “light afflictions”? He faced rejection from some of his closest friends and, even worse, by many of the churches in Asia (2 Timothy 1:15). He had been severely beaten several times (2 Corinthians 11:24,25). He had been shipwrecked three times (2 Corinthians 11:25). He had lived through perils in the city, in the wilderness, and at sea. He had been in peril of robbers, of heathens, and of false brethren and had endured periods of hunger, thirst, and sleeplessness (2 Corinthians 11:26,27).

These were monumental problems, yet Paul refused to let them be monumental in his life. Instead, he deemed them “small stuff” — mere distractions compared to the eternal glory that awaited him.

What enabled Paul to press ahead when he was being assaulted so viciously? How could he maintain such a victorious attitude? How is it that he never surrendered to weariness, exhaustion, or to the devil’s attacks?

These questions can all be answered by the foremost desire of Paul’s heart: That he would one day hear Jesus say to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Paul’s driving motivation was his anticipation to hear Jesus say those words and to know that he had finished his race well. This is why Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy…” (Acts 20:24).

At the end of his life, he wrote to Timothy and triumphantly declared, “I have fought a good fight…” (2 Timothy 4:7). The words “fought” and “fight” are from the Greek word agonidzo. This word means a struggle, a fight, a combat, or a fierce competition, and it is where we get the word agony. By using this word, Paul tells us that some of his ministry has been a real struggle — difficult, fierce, and agonizing. Yet Paul never budged an inch! He stayed in the fight and was faithful to his call!

This verse could literally be translated, “A good fight — that’s what I fought!” That proclamation has the sense of victory and exhilaration. These are the sentiments of a man who has no regrets. He is proud of the contest in which he has been engaged. Regardless of all the others who have dropped out of the fight, Paul can say, “I stayed in there. A good fight — that’s what I fought!”

Then Paul goes on to tell us, “…I have finished my course….” This word “course” is the Greek word dromos, which always describes a foot race or a running track. Also, notice that he referred to his life assignment as “my course.” Paul knew precisely what race he was called to run, and he didn’t attempt to run anyone else’s course. In spite of all the things that tried to slow him down, knock him out of the race, and defeat him, he refused to quit running! No matter what happened, Paul just stayed right on track — true to the course God had given him. Thus, this part of the verse could be translated, “My race — I ran it with all my might, never stopping until I knew I had reached the goal and finished it!”

Lastly, Paul writes, “…I have kept the faith.” The Greek word for “kept” is the word tereo. It is the same Greek word used to depict a watch of soldiers who were positioned to protect something important. The job of these soldiers was to stand guard and to keep watch. They were to be faithful and remain committed to their charge of keeping watch regardless of the kind of assault or the number of attackers they might encounter.

This is the word Paul uses when he says, “I have kept the faith.” Even though he encountered difficulties and challenges, he never left his post or surrendered to the assaults and attacks that came against him. Through it all, Paul kept watch over the mission and the message God gave him!

When you put all of this together, Second Timothy 4:7 could be understood to say this:

“A good fight — that’s what I fought! My race — I ran it with all my might, never stopping until I knew I had reached the goal and finished it! The faith — I protected it, guarded it, and watched over it with all my heart and strength. In spite of the assaults and attacks, I stayed true to my assignment!”

This soldier of the Lord has everything to shout about! His ministry may have been difficult, but he made it! Paul never gave an inch to the enemy. Now as he faces his own death, he isn’t fearful; rather, he rejoices because he knows he has done well. He’s ready to depart this earth and to be forever with his Lord! Looking toward that moment when he will finally stand before Jesus, Paul confidently writes, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

When you are tempted to be sidetracked and distracted by the problems of life, try to find a few minutes to be alone with the Lord. Remind yourself that all your problems are fleeting and that they will soon pass. But your obedience to God is eternal, so there is nothing more important than doing what God has told you to do.

When you stand before Jesus, all the challenges you faced will be forgotten, and just one question will remain. Jesus will want to know, “Did you do what I asked you to do, or did you get distracted and let the cares of life stop you from fulfilling your assignment?”

It will help you live a more balanced and committed life if you will keep everything that happens to you in perspective of that day when you stand before Jesus. Don’t you want to look into His face with confidence? Of course you do. So take the attitude of the apostle Paul. Decide to deliberately view your problems as nothing but “light affliction” that won’t last too long. On the other hand, what you do with God’s call on your life will last forever, so don’t let those measly little problems prevent you from pushing onward toward the high calling of God!

Just as the apostle Paul finished his race with joy, you can finish your course with joy and victory as well. Determine today that you will be a soldier of the Lord who can look back one day and be proud of the fight you fought, the race you ran, and the faith you kept — a soldier with no regrets!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to keep my focus and to not allow the challenges I face to distract me from fulfilling Your will for my life. I know that the enemy keeps surrounding me with distractions because You have called me to do something important. Rather than let these nuisances break me and steal my joy, help me keep my eyes focused on that day when I will stand before You. I ask that Your Spirit will supernaturally energize me to push beyond the obstacles and keep pressing forward to the high calling You have designed for my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that I am a winner and not a loser. I don’t throw in the towel and quit when it gets hard; instead, I dig in my heels and refuse to surrender the territory that God has called me to conquer and possess. I live my life seriously and with balance and commitment. Because of God’s Spirit inside me, I am tougher than any challenge and stronger than any foe. I fight a good fight and run a good race — and I successfully guard over and hold tight to the assignment God has given to my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever thought about what people will say about you after you have died? Will they know of the contribution you made in life, or will they ask, “Gee, I wonder who that person was and what he (or she) did?”

2. Can you verbalize what God has called you to do with your life? If someone asked you to describe your life assignment, would you be able to intelligently answer his question?

3. If you have allowed the challenges of life to distract you and throw you off schedule in doing God’s will, don’t you agree that it’s time for you to get back on track again?