The Essential Attitude for Success!

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
— 1 Corinthians 4:1

We live in a world that loves to take it easy. We want instant results — and we want them right now. Technology has made almost everything instantly accessible. Our entire Western lifestyle is centered around making things as easy, fast, effortless, and painless as possible.

The younger generation is so accustomed to getting everything they want that they don’t understand there is a price to pay for true success. But whether they like it or not, the fact remains: True greatness, great achievements, and real success won’t float to them on clouds that suddenly materialize above their heads. If anyone wants to achieve something great and significant, he or she will have to put a lot of hard work and effort into making it happen.

Let’s take the apostle Paul as an example. I recently read a report that made this claim: Apart from Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul more dramatically affected Western civilization than any other man in human history. Paul achieved incredible feats with his life. His epistles have impacted world history and leaders, and what he accomplished in his life and ministry remains legendary. So let’s look at this famous Christian leader and ask:

• How did Paul live his life?
• What kind of attitude did he possess regarding his life mission?
• What attitude did he possess that enabled him to dramatically affect his world?

In First Corinthians 4:1, Paul wrote, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” I believe that some very important answers to the questions above are found in this interesting statement that Paul himself wrote.

In this verse, Paul calls himself a “minister.” This is the Greek word huperetas, a vivid term that conveys the essential attitude necessary to get a job done — especially the work of the ministry. However, this word doesn’t apply only to ministry. It also denotes the essential attitude a person must possess to become successful in any sphere of life.

Interestingly, this word huperetas, translated “ministers” here, was used in classical Greek society to describe low-class criminals. The first time I studied this Greek word, it seemed so odd that Paul would use this word to describe himself and his attitude toward the ministry. I wondered:

• Why would Paul use such a word?
• Is he using this word as a picture to make a point to us?

After a lot of digging into the original Greek, I found out exactly why Paul used this word. He was a successful man who understood what it took to get a job done — and no word more vividly explains this work ethic than the Greek word huperetas.

Originally this word described the very lowest class of criminals. These criminals were so low, so detestable, and so contemptible that they were outcast and removed from society. Often they were assigned to the bottom galleys of huge shipping vessels, where they literally became the engines of those huge ships.

And the harsh assignment given to these criminals wasn’t temporary either. They were sentenced to live the rest of their lives in the darkness below the deck — endlessly rowing, rowing, and rowing. Their entire existence was devoted to keeping that ship moving toward its ultimate destination! These huperetas were officially called “under-rowers” because they lived and rowed down in the bottom of the ship. Day after day, their job was to heave those massive oars forward and backward, pushing them through the water to make the ship move through the sea.

This is the same word the apostle Paul uses to describe the attitude that is necessary to do what God has called us to do! God has called us to take our place in His plan — to grab hold of an oar, so to speak, and begin to serve Him practically in some way. We are to keep rowing, rowing, rowing, and rowing, doing our part and fulfilling what He has asked us to do.

Some people tend to sit and watch as achievers reach out to do the impossible. But if you are going to join the ranks of those achievers, you’ll have to do more than just sit around and talk about it. You’ll need to say yes to what the Lord is urging you to do.

And remember, these huperetas who rowed the boat didn’t quickly finish their assignment of rowing; it was their responsibility for a lifetime. In the same way, we need to realize that the secret dream God has put in our hearts probably won’t be achieved quickly either. It may be an assignment that will last for the rest of our lives. It takes hard work and a lifelong commitment for us to achieve the great things that God wants to do through you and me!

I heartily recommend that you mentally prepare yourself for a long-term stint at doing what God is calling you to do. It will almost certainly take unbelievable strength and energy to move that vision from the realm of dreams to the realm of reality. So jump into the bottom of the boat; take your place on the rowers’ bench; and begin to row with all your might! With each step of obedience you take and each day of faithfulness you live, you will come closer to the desired destination — the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes for your life.

We may live in a world that loves to take it easy and that delights in instant results. But in order to achieve the true greatness God desires for us, we will have to be determined, committed, and willing to do anything necessary to accomplish what He has for us.

No, real success doesn’t float to you on clouds that suddenly materialize above your head. Therefore, I encourage you to make the decision to start putting a lot of hard work and effort into making your assignment successful. It’s going to take every ounce of strength you have to make your dream come to pass, so you might as well resolve to get started today!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am determining in my heart today to jump into the bottom of the boat, grab an oar, and start rowing with all my might. Doing the minimum is never going to get me where I need to go, so right now I am making the choice to put all my energies forward to achieve what You have planned for me. Help me to be faithful, steadfast, unmoving, and unflinching in the face of opposition. Help me to tell my flesh to be silent when it tries to scream out that I’m doing too much! I choose to crucify the flesh and press forward with all the strength You give me. As I do this, I believe that You will make my dreams come to pass!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I will see the fulfillment of the dream God has put in my heart. I am a hard worker, willing to do whatever it takes, and I have made a long-term commitment to achieve all that God wants to do through me! It will almost certainly take unbelievable strength and energy to move that vision from the realm of dreams to the realm of reality, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! With God’s Spirit working in me, I will see the fulfillment of my dreams!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If you keep operating at your current level of production, will you reach the goals God has given for your life?

2. Be honest! Has your desire to have things “easy” been a hindrance to you? Has your desire for “creature comforts” overpowered your desire to reach your goal regardless of the price you must pay or how long it takes?

3. If you continue at your present momentum, will you dramatically affect your world and environment as the apostle Paul affected his? If not, what changes do you need to make in your thinking to become a great achiever?

And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
— John 16:8,11

Today I want to continue talking about the supernatural convincing work of the Holy Spirit. In the previous two days, we’ve seen how the Holy Spirit convicts the sinner of his sin — a supernatural work that cannot happen apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. We’ve also seen how the Holy Spirit convinces a Christian of his God-given righteousness — something that a believer will not completely comprehend until the Holy Spirit reveals it and brings that person to the undeniable fact that he has been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

But there is one more convincing work of the Holy Spirit mentioned in John 16:8,11. It says, “And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” This describes the Holy Spirit’s work to convince and remind us that although Satan may seem to have free rein at the moment, his ultimate fate is settled and his doom is sealed. He is the loser at the end of the day.

If all we do is sit and listen to the news, it’s likely that it will leave us in a despondent state as we wonder what in the world is going to happen. Moral codes are changing; laws are changing; politics are changing — and it seems much of the Church itself is negatively changing. If we dwell on all these negative changes, we will soon become despondent with despair. But a glorious part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convince us that the “prince of this world is judged” (see John 16:11). That means the devil isn’t going to win! His judgment has already been pronounced, and part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to remind us and convince us of this fact.

Let’s look at the terminology Jesus used when he called Satan “the prince of this world.” The word “prince” is the Greek word ho archon, a title used to describe a ruler in a particular realm that can be translated as the word “prince.” The word “world” is the Greek word kosmos, which emphatically does not describe the earth, universe, or planetary systems. Instead, it denotes culture, society, and the systems in which mankind lives and functions. It denotes systems, such as education, entertainment, government, and every human sphere, as the places — the kosmos — where Satan operates. The word kosmos is the identical word that the apostle Paul used in Second Corinthians 4:4 when he referred to Satan as the “god of this world.” It pictures Satan as being the ruler of the lost culture and lost systems that dominates every sphere of mankind. Those systems are where Satan temporarily operates and exercises his power. I say that he operates there temporarily because Jesus said his rule has been “judged.”

The word “judged” is the Greek word krino. The word krino was used in a judicial sense, even in a court of law, to mean the decision has already been weighed and decided. There is no more debating of this issue. The decision is made, and the case is closed. All that remains is pronouncement of the verdict, which is judgment. And Jesus said that part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry would be to convince you and me that Satan is condemned without the possibility of escape.

This means, my friend, that the bad news we see in the world today is temporary. Jesus is Lord, and everything we see around us won’t last very long. Christ completely and utterly defeated Satan through His death on the Cross and His resurrection. Now it’s only a matter of time until the clouds break and Jesus comes through the eastern sky — and everything changes!

When you’re tempted to despair because of what you hear and see, that is the moment you need to say, “Holy Spirit, please — remind me that the prince of this world is judged.” He will bring you to an absolute place of conviction that will put your feet on solid ground and cause you to know beyond any shadow of a doubt that the prince of this world is judged and that you really are on the winning side!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You that Jesus conquered Satan through His death on the Cross and His resurrection and that Jesus is truly Lord over all! The ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life is a daily reminder to me of this glorious fact. Especially today, when it seems so many things are changing and it looks like evil is winning so many battles, I rely upon this special convincing ministry of the Holy Spirit that the prince of this world is judged — and from this condemnation he has no possibility of escape. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for keeping me in remembrance of the truth that Jesus is Lord now, that He is Lord tomorrow, and that He will always be Lord of all!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that Jesus is Lord over everything in this world. When I am tempted to fear or to give sway to the bad news that is going out over the airwaves all the time, I will stand tall, throw my shoulders back, hold my head high, and boldly declare that Jesus is Lord and Satan is the loser! I declare that the decision has already been made, the court is closed, and Satan’s doom is sealed. Jesus is coming back soon, and everything will change!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever had moments when it felt like the world was morally crumbling all around you and it made you feel hopeless? What do you say or think on to counteract the temptation to go down that dark road in your emotions?
2. What do you do when you hear other believers speak almost endlessly about how bad things are getting? Do you remind them that Satan’s doom is sealed and that things we see are only temporary? Or do you join in and begin complaining with them? What should you do in that case?
3. Have you ever heard the Holy Spirit speaking to you to take heart because the real truth is that Jesus is Lord and everything else is temporary? Is the Holy Spirit trying to assure you of this, but you keep getting caught up in the bad news you hear? What should you do differently to keep your focus on the winning side?

 

Has Satan Ever Tried To Use You As a Source of Strife?

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
— James 3:14

Many years ago, I worked as an associate pastor in a large Southern Baptist church. The pastor I served was a wonderful man of God who taught me and gave his life to me unselfishly. I nearly adored this man — until one day, I became offended by something he did.

What this pastor did was very minor, and it shouldn’t have affected me at all. Nevertheless, at that moment I was weak and became an open door for the devil. It is amazing how quickly a dart of the enemy, thrown into our hearts, can change our perspective! In a matter of seconds, my whole view of this precious man changed for the worse. Although he was older and more spiritual than I was, I suddenly thought I could see the full picture of the church ministry more clearly than he could.

Soon I found myself in the position of a judge, thinking that I was more spiritual than he and therefore more qualified to discern the voice of God. Although my actions were ungodly and destructive, I really thought my motives were pure as the snow. My heart toward this dear pastor became hardened, and it wasn’t long until the devil was trying to use me as a source of strife in that congregation. The biggest obstacle in this situation was that I genuinely believed I was right! But in reality, I was acting in rebellion to authority, blinded to the ugliness that was raging in my soul.

The devil has always tried to use people to bring division into the church. There is nothing new about this problem. In fact, James addresses the issues of wrong attitudes and a spirit of strife in James 3:14. From the earliest inception of the New Testament church, church leaders have always had to correct people who acted just like I was acting toward my pastor. But thank God for His grace! Today that pastor is one of my dearest friends and one of my greatest mentors.

In respect to people being used by the devil to bring division, James 3:14 says, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” The phrase “bitter envying” is very important. It is the Greek word zelos, which refers to a fierce desire to promote your own idea to the exclusion of others’ ideas. The word “strife” is the Greek word eritheia, which means rivalry or ambition. It can also be translated as a party spirit or a divisive spirit.           

This first part of James 3:14 could be translated:

“If you have a fierce desire to promote your own ideas to the exclusion of others’ ideas….”
“If you have a spirit of competition and rivalry….”
“If you’re full of selfish ambition….”
“If your actions are creating a party spirit in the church….”

In verse 15, James goes on to say, “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” The word “earthly” in Greek is the word epigeios. It describes something from an earthly dimension, not from a heavenly dimension. The Greek word for “sensual” is psuchikos, which means soulish. Then James says, “This wisdom is…devilish.” The word “devilish” comes from the Greek word daimoniodes, which is best translated demonized, depicting a person whose mind or emotions have come under the influence of demon spirits.

James is telling his readers:

“When a person behaves like this, it is obvious that his soul has come under the influence of demonic activity.”

Consider what James 3:15 means in light of the fact that I had become the source of strife in that pastor’s church. According to this scripture, I had fallen into a trap of the devil and didn’t even know it! What I did to that pastor was blatantly wrong, but at the particular moment it was happening, I really believed I was doing what was right. I had fallen into the same trap so many people have fallen into throughout two thousand years of Church history.

Let me assure you that anytime something small becomes a major issue, you need to back up and reexamine what you are thinking and feeling. The devil may be trying to work in your mind and imagination to divide you from people you both love and need. Do you want to let the devil build a wall between you and the people in your life over something that won’t even matter a year from now? Is that issue really so serious that you would break a long-term relationship over it? Is it possible that the devil is over-magnifying this problem in your mind and that you are getting a little out of focus over this issue?

As a result of this regretful experience that occurred so long ago, I learned to keep my heart free from all strife and offense. That is a lesson we all need to learn. If our hearts stay free of strife and offense, the door stays closed to the devil so he cannot disrupt our relationships. You need to know that when you allow a spirit of strife to operate inside you, inside your home, inside your business, or inside your church, it won’t be too long until people who used to love each other are standing in opposition to each other. That is the way the spirit of strife operates, and that is the fruit it produces.

If you have taken offense or feel even the smallest temptation to get in strife with someone in your life, I strongly advise you to get into the Presence of God and allow Him to help you see things from a clearer perspective. Let the Holy Spirit remove the blur of the disagreement and remind you of how much you love that other person. Take a few minutes to be with God and to let Him search your heart and show you the truth. As you do, you will stop the devil from using you as a source of strife today!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I never want to be a source of strife! Please help me keep my heart free of strife and my mind clear of accusations so I can have relationships that are pleasing to You. I want to be a blessing to people — never a vehicle the devil uses to bring confusion or hurt to anyone. I am so thankful Your love has touched me and now flows through me to others. I truly desire for Your love to flow freely through me and to bring peace where strife and chaos once reigned supreme.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the devil doesn’t have the right to work in my mind and imagination. I refuse to permit him to divide me from the people I know, love, and need. My heart is free of strife and offense, and the door is closed to the devil so he cannot disrupt my relationships. When the devil does try to distract me with the temptation of strife, the Holy Spirit removes the blur of the disagreement and reminds me of how much I love and need that other person.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Has there ever been a time in your life when you got so upset about something that it blurred your ability to think clearly about that situation? Did you slow down and get into the Presence of God before taking further action, or did you act in that moment of emotion and let the devil use you to make the situation worse?

2. What have you learned about the value of keeping your mouth shut, letting your emotions subside, and waiting before you vocalize what is making your stomach churn with fretting and anxiety?

3. What practical steps can you take to prevent the devil from over-magnifying issues in your mind and imagination? Why don’t you really think about this question and then take some time to write down your preventative ideas?

And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove… of righteousness…because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.
— John 16:8,10

When I was a young man, I struggled with condemnation, constantly fearing that I wasn’t really saved. I didn’t grasp the idea of a God-given righteousness. I felt that I had to prove my worth to be acceptable to God. But one day the Holy Spirit began dealing with me, supernaturally convincing me of my Christ-imparted righteousness. And, friend, I want to tell you from the Word and from personal experience that being convinced of righteousness is just as supernatural as being convicted of sin.

The word “reprove” in John 16:8 is the Greek word elegcho. As we saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, it means to cross-examine a person on a witness stand until he is brought to a place of utter confrontation where he cannot deny the facts. We saw yesterday how the Holy Spirit has an elegcho ministry with sinners, bringing them revelation of their spiritual condition to the point where they cannot deny the fact that they are lost, without God, and in sin. At that point, they then have the opportunity to repent and to receive Christ.

But in the very same way, the Holy Spirit cross-examines us as believers and convinces us of our righteousness! The Bible says that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is very difficult for the human mind to comprehend and accept, because our natural thinking says we’re not righteous. And it’s true — on our own, we are not righteous, but we have been declared righteous because of the blood of Jesus.

Rather than struggle in an effort to become righteous — a state you will never be able to attain on your own — the Holy Spirit wants to open your eyes. He wants to bring you to a point where you see and understand, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are not trying to become righteous; rather, you have been declared the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. The day you understand that and are utterly convinced that this is an actual fact, it will begin to radically change how you pray, how you feel about yourself, and how you carry yourself. Why? Because you will see and act like one who has become the righteousness of God!

What a wonderful work God did for us! He sent Jesus to die in our place and to take our sin upon Himself. Then God exerted all of His mighty power to raise Jesus from the dead, seat Him at His own right hand, and send the Holy Spirit to live in us so we could actually become the righteousness of God in Christ. Yet if there is any subject in Scripture about which Christians will often argue, it is this issue of righteousness. Most Christians are so conscious of their own sinful nature that they have great difficulty embracing the truth that they have been declared righteous. If you were to tell them they are righteous, they’ll likely respond by telling you how bad they are.

Sinful nature always clings to what is worst and most negative. It will always gravitate downward, never upward. That is the nature of the mind that isn’t under the control of the Holy Spirit. The sinful flesh, if not mortified by the sanctifying power of God’s Spirit, will follow its negative leanings all the way to the grave. If abandoned to your flesh, you’ll never believe a good report; you’ll never believe God is doing a good work in you; and you’ll certainly never believe you have been made the righteousness of God in Christ.

Negative, base, sinful thinking has been a part of our humanity for so long that it requires a special convincing work of the Holy Spirit to make us realize the supernatural work that God has done inside us. When the Father says, “You’re My child, and I’ve made you righteous,” we must receive the Holy Spirit’s special work of convincing us of our rightstanding with God. If we don’t, our negatively charged mind and emotions will retort, It’s not so! I’m unworthy. I’m unholy. I’m so pitiful!

Too many Christians fall in this trap. But that is like throwing the compliment back in God’s face! These people love the Lord, but they fail to understand and esteem the work He has done for them — a work that cost Him greatly! He put forth His best work to redeem them and make them “new creations in Christ Jesus” (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) — and yet they have nothing good to say about themselves!

The Bible tells us explicitly that we are “…his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:10). Another version of that verse could read, “We are a product of His very own, marvelously created in Christ Jesus — created under the influence and control of His divine power.” This is a powerful, life-changing truth, but it requires the Holy Spirit to move this truth from our heads to our hearts. Just as the Holy Spirit must convict the sinner of his lost condition, He also must convince us of our position of rightstanding with God!

We are so negative in our old, fleshly nature that it really does take a supernatural work of the Spirit to cause us to comprehend our new condition in Jesus Christ. This realization that we have been made righteous is just as supernatural as the lost man recognizing that he is lost.

I can remember when the Holy Spirit woke me up to this truth many years ago. Driving down the street, feeling totally unrighteous, I was listening to a teaching on righteousness — when suddenly my mind began to grasp what I was hearing. It was as if someone took blinders off my eyes and earplugs out of my ears. For the first time in my life, I was seeing and hearing — really seeing and really hearing — that God had declared me righteous in Jesus Christ. The truth was going straight to my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit! I heard it! I understood it! My inward man was leaping for joy as the Spirit of God illuminated my understanding about righteousness. Right then He convinced me of the truth, and I was set free!

If you struggle with your self-image and feelings of condemnation, you need the Holy Spirit to do His convincing work in your life. Only He can open your eyes to really see and your ears to really hear who you have become in Christ Jesus. Once your eyes and ears have been opened and you understand you have been made righteous, you will never throw the truth back in God’s face and argue with Him again. Now when the Holy Spirit reminds you that you’ve been made righteous, you will cry out with joy, “Thank You! That’s exactly what I am!”

You don’t have to keep being negative about yourself all the time. You don’t have to beat yourself over the head, constantly reminding yourself of how unworthy you are. Jesus Christ made you worthy! He made you righteous! He made you a new creation! Let the Holy Spirit do His work to convince you of these glorious realities!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I ask You to bring me to that place of realization where I really understand the righteousness that has been imparted to me through Jesus Christ. I don’t want to struggle with guilt and condemnation anymore. Since Jesus was made sin for me that I could be made the righteousness of God in Him, help me to step into that place of awareness and remain there, forever free!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare by faith that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I didn’t earn it or deserve it, but by faith I repented, and I received righteousness as the gracious, free gift of God. I do not struggle with my past. It has no hold on me. I am, in fact, a new creature, totally new in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit has done His work to convince me of my rightstanding with God, and I am free from the past forever!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you struggled with self-condemnation and self-judgment? If yes, what benefit has it produced in your life?
2. Has there ever been a moment when the Spirit opened your eyes and “convinced” you that Christ had made you righteous? If yes, what was the immediate result of that revelation?
3. If you were to describe people who are sin-conscious or righteousness-conscious, how would you describe these two groups of people?

Pearls and Pigs!

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
— Matthew 7:6

Once I was on a farm where the farmer had a hog that was so huge, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it! It just lay there on the ground, flicking its ears and shaking its rolls of fat in an attempt to shoo away the flies. I was simply amazed at the enormous size of that hog. I wondered, How can it even stand up?

I asked the owner, “Does that pig do anything except lie here?”

The owner answered, “It hardly moves until it’s time to eat. But when it’s dinnertime, that pig nearly jumps to its feet, snorting with joy and excitement at the prospect of eating a meal!”

When I heard this, it made me think of what Jesus said about pigs in Matthew 7:6. He told us, “…Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”

I always thought this was a strange verse, because pearls and pigs in the same verse seem like such a bizarre mixture! But Jesus had a purpose for using this example, so we need to take a look and see why He made this statement and what it means for you and me.

First, Jesus said, “…neither cast ye.…” The word “cast” is from the Greek word ballo, and it means to throw or to cast. But the Greek is so strong that it could be translated, “…NEVER cast your pearls before swine….” In other words, this word conveys a strong prohibition to never do something! As we saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, Jesus wasn’t giving a suggestion here; He was giving an order that this particular action should never be taken!

The word “pearls” is the Greek word margarites. You may find it interesting to know that this is where we get the names Margaret and Margarita. Since Jesus uses the example of pearls in this verse, let’s talk about pearls for a moment.

Pearls are not easily found. To obtain the richest and most beautiful pearls, a diver must dive again and again and again and again. Then after lifting the shells from the sea floor, he must force open the mouth of each shell and dig through the tough meat of the muscle, poking and searching for the tiny white pearl that was formed over a long period of time. These pearls are precious, rare, valuable, and hard to obtain.

This is how you should view the things God has done in your life. You can’t put a price on what you have learned through your life experiences as you’ve walked with Him. Like precious pearls, those life lessons are inestimable in their value because they cost you something. They weren’t the result of shallow swimming. You had to go deep into God to obtain those spiritual treasures.

Each time you open the door to those treasures and begin to share them with someone else, you need to remember that you’re sharing your pearls with that person. The counsel and advice you’re giving may be free to him, but it has cost you everything! So if what you are sharing isn’t appreciated, stop giving that person your pearls!

This is why Jesus said, “…neither cast ye your pearls before swine.…” And remember, the Greek more accurately says, “never cast your pearls before swine.…” But do you see the word “before”? It is the Greek word emprothen, and it means to present something to someone else. An example would be if I publicly honored a person by presenting him with a special gift. To show honor, I would come to him dressed properly and thoughtfully; then I would give that person a gift that cost me something in order to demonstrate the great honor in which I held him.

By using this word, Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:6 that we shouldn’t waste our time, energy, or money or put too much thought into honoring individuals who don’t even care about what we are doing for them! There’s no reason to get all dressed up, to put hours of contemplation into how to help them, or to open our hearts and tell them deep truths and lessons that have cost us much in life. Why would we ever want to do all that for people who don’t even care?

Jesus uses the example of “swine” or “pigs” to describe this category of people who couldn’t care less about what you are trying to tell them. The word “swine” is from the Greek word choipos, and it can be translated as pig, sow, swine, or hog. Of course, pigs were very well known in Jesus’ day — and in Jewish circles, they were considered to be the lowest, basest, and the most unclean of filthy, stinking animals. For Jesus to refer to people as swine was a very powerful and graphic depiction!

Pigs are consumers. They take, take, and take. They eat and then want more. They never think to ask where the food came from, who paid for it, or what process was required to produce it. They are just mindless, careless consumers.

If you’ve ever been to a pigpen, you know that pigs do nothing but lie on their sides and jump up just in time to eat. They never contribute anything to the farm until they’re dead. Covered in their own mess, waddling around in their own filth, pigs just wait to be fed again and again.

When the bell rings and it’s time for the pigs to eat, they fight and kick to see who can get to the food first. Slopping up the food, slobbering all over themselves, they “eat just like pigs.” Driven to have their need for food met, pigs never stop to say thank you to the person who brought it to them. Not one “thank you” is heard — not even one!

This is exactly like people who don’t appreciate the holy things that are freely given to them from the depths of another person’s life. It’s sad to say, but many believers live and act just like pigs because they are careless, mindless consumers of other people’s time and energy. They never think about how a person obtained his wisdom, what it cost for him to obtain it, or how many years it took for him to come to his present place of growth in God. These people who act like pigs just take and take and take. And after they have drained that person of all his strength, they don’t even take the time to say thank you for what they have consumed!

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:6 convey this idea:

“Never invest too much time, energy, or money into people who don’t even care about what you are doing for them! I’m commanding you not to share your ‘pearls’ — those precious details, experiences, and parts of your life that have cost you so much — with people who live and act like ungrateful pigs….”

As I noted earlier, when Denise and I first began in the ministry, we thought our door and telephone had to be available to people twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Because of this, people came to us all the time. Some of them really needed help, but it didn’t take us too long to learn that some people just wanted us — our time and our energy. They didn’t have any intention of changing or doing anything we suggested. It was almost as if they were sent on a mission designed to drain us dry of everything we had inside of us.

Once these people were finished with us, they’d leave to find someone else. We were just the ones they attached themselves to for that moment. As long as they could get just a little more out of us, they stuck around. But when they had drained us dry, they were off to find a new victim.

Do you see why Jesus used such a strong example? This is exactly what the Lord was referring to when He said such people would “…trample them [our pearls] under their feet.…” You see, Jesus wants us to value ourselves and what we have to share so highly that we carefully choose the people with whom we share our treasures.

What is absolutely amazing to me is that Jesus said this ungrateful group of people will most likely “turn again and rend you” in the end. Pastors and leaders from all over the world could tell you about people whom they have tried to help, but who later turned and accused them of being unloving! People like that take all they can from a person; then later they turn against that same person!

It is extremely hard to understand how someone you have tried so hard to help can act so ugly! Nevertheless, that is frequently the case. As soon as you say, “Enough is enough!” and turn your attention elsewhere, this type of person begins to accuse: “You are so unloving. You don’t love me the way you used to love me. If you were a good Christian, you’d listen to me when I talk. You just don’t care.”

You may assume that these people would know they are loved. The reason you have endured so long in your efforts to help them is that you do love them. If you didn’t love them, you would have let go of your relationship with them a long time ago. Only love could have kept you going after they had disappointed you time after time.

But if those individuals aren’t serious by now, they probably never will be serious. So there comes a time when you have to stop behaving like a beggar. You shouldn’t have to beg anyone to follow you. You need to think more highly of yourself — and those whom you are trying to help need to think more highly of you as well.

People must never take you and the pearls of your life for granted. If that starts happening, stop giving to them until their attitude changes. If their attitude never changes, let go of those unfruitful relationships and find someone who will appreciate what you are trying to accomplish in his or her life. You may be fearful to let go of those individuals at first because you’ve put so much time and energy into them. But I assure you, there are other fish in the sea. You are not locked into a few certain individuals. Lots of potential leaders exist in the Body of Christ, just waiting for someone to tap into their God-given abilities.

It’s time for you to quit acting like the world rises and falls on whether or not one person gets with the program. Move on to someone who will contribute to the program instead of being only a “taker” and a consumer of your time and energy.

But what if you are the one who has been acting like a mindless consumer of other people’s time, talents, gifts, and money? If that is the case, it’s time for you to stop acting like a pig! If you’re really a child of God, the Holy Spirit who dwells within you wants to teach you how to start living on a much higher level!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to thank You for forgiving me for all the times in my past when others did so much for me that I didn’t appreciate. I was too young and too foolish to really appreciate what was being done for me, but now I understand. So today I want to thank You for everything that has been done for me. I thank You for every person You have sent to love me, to be patient with me, and to be used so mightily in my life. Now I ask You to help me be a blessing and a help to someone else who is just as I once was!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the pearls in my life are precious and have the power to help other people. I open my heart to share them with people who are serious about listening and growing. Because I’m putting so much time and energy into these people, they are going to grow in the Lord and become something truly great! They possess lots of potential, and their God-given gifts, talents, and abilities will be developed and released because God used me in their lives!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. As you read this Sparkling Gem today, did you find yourself thinking of specific individuals who always take but never give anything back in return? What kind of impression do these people leave on others? Is it positive or negative?

2. Can you think of times in your life when you freely took from someone else, never even stopping to think what it cost that person to give so much to you? Have you ever taken the time to go back to that person and thank him for what he so graciously did for you?

3. Is there anyone in your life right now who continually takes from you but seems to have no intention of changing? If so, how long are you going to let this situation go on?

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
— John 16:8

In the Upper Room, as Jesus continued teaching about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He said, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). Let’s talk about what Jesus meant when He said the Holy Spirit would “reprove” the world of sin.

The word “reprove” is the Greek word elegcho. It means to expose, to convict, or to cross-examine for the purpose of conviction — as in convicting a lawbreaker in a court of law. The Holy Spirit will begin to deal with the heart of an unbeliever, and by the time He is finished, that lost, sinful soul will feel exposed and convicted. As the Holy Spirit enables that person to hear the Word of God for the first time, the razor-sharp sword of the Word will penetrate his soul until he feels as if he has been cross-examined on a witness stand. Finally, the court will be adjourned, the verdict announced, and he will know on the inside that he is guilty of sin.

This is precisely what a sinner feels when the Holy Spirit convicts him of sin. It is amazing how long a sinner can live without conviction or godly sorrow for his behavior — how long he can be nearly numb to any sense of wrongness regarding his sinful actions. The Bible says that sin has made unbelievers to be hardhearted, spiritually blind, and past feeling (see Ephesians 4:18,19). But those factors change instantly when the Holy Spirit touches the human soul and exposes its sinful condition. Exposed, naked, confronted — that is exactly what a sinner feels when the Holy Spirit wakes him up to his true spiritual condition.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict sinners of their lost condition. The whole world stands guilty before God (see Romans 3:19), but the lost don’t realize they are guilty until that moment when the Holy Spirit reveals it to them.

Jesus stated, “No man can come unto me, except the Father…draw him” (John 6:44). This drawing of a person’s heart to Jesus is done through the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus reminded us of this when He said, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin” (John 16:8). Without the work of the Holy Spirit to expose our sinful condition, we would still remain in darkness today, eternally lost and without God.

It is amazing to me that a person can be in sin, and even understand that he is in sin, yet nonetheless fail to grasp the real eternal consequences of what that means. He can even be in a church service where he hears about sin and acknowledges that the sermon is true and that he’s a sinner — yet leave that service and continue living the same lifestyle he did before he got there.

But something happens when the Holy Spirit begins to work in that person’s soul. He lovingly cross-examines that person, until finally He brings him to a place of confrontation. It is at this point that invisible scales fall from the person’s eyes, and he truly sees for the first time that he is in sin. This is something that can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. When He convicts of sin, the sinner absolutely knows that he is a sinner.

Once the Holy Spirit has lovingly brought that person to the place where he finally sees it for himself, the person has a choice: Will he stay in sin, or will he repent and turn toward God? Helping that person reach this point of decision that has such eternal consequences is the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry in his life.

It is frustrating to share Christ with family and friends and to feel as if you are “hitting a brick wall.” You share, talk, and plead with them to receive Christ, yet it seems they just can’t hear what you are saying. Even though they may acknowledge they are sinners, they may not seem to be too deeply disturbed by the implications of this fact. They just press on as though they were numb to or ignorant of the spiritual deadness in their lives.

But the Bible clearly teaches that a lost person is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Don’t forget that dead people don’t feel anything. Spiritually dead people especially don’t feel the conviction of sin. It requires a special, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to rouse the human consciousness to realize its sinful condition.

How can you make a dead man see? How can you cause a dead man to feel? How can you convince a dead man that he needs to change? Thank God for the convicting work of the Holy Spirit! Only through the convicting power of God’s Spirit can a spiritually dead man be awakened and beckoned to Christ.

Friend, it was the Holy Spirit’s call that touched your soul, awakened you to your sinfulness, and beckoned you to Christ. Once you were brought to this place of undeniable conviction and you recognized that you were a sinner, the Spirit invited you to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord. At that divine moment, your soul heard the Holy Spirit say, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14). And in that next moment, you were born again!

What a miracle it was when God raised our spirits from spiritual death to spiritual life. In fact, there is no greater miracle! The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is part of the foundational work that He does in our lives, but it’s certainly not the last! Tomorrow we’ll look at His work to “convince” us of our God-given righteousness. Don’t miss it!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I know Jesus Christ today because of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. I remember when You first awakened me to my sin — a realization that had never gripped me before. But when I saw my spiritual condition, I really understood that I was lost and needed to be saved. Thank You for the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and for bringing me to a place where I could be saved. I could have never arrived there on my own, so today I want to say thank You! And I trust You to complete that work in the lives of those for whom I pray to come to a saving knowledge of You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of my family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances to bring them to a place where they really see and understand their lost condition and need for salvation. Jesus Christ died for them, and He sent the Holy Spirit to draw them to Jesus. If the Holy Spirit prompts me to testify to them, I will do so, for the Holy Spirit knows how to touch each and every heart. I declare that they will finally hear, understand, and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of the convicting and converting power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you remember when you were first struck by the reality of personal sin and separation from God? Where were you, and what situation produced that awareness?
2. When you awakened to your need to turn from darkness to the light, how long did it take before you turned to Jesus in repentance to receive Him as your Savior and Lord?
3. What unsaved individuals are on your prayer list right now? Can you think of someone who was praying for you before you came to Christ?

Don’t Throw Holy Things to the Dogs!

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
— Matthew 7:6

Sometimes we try in vain to help people who don’t appreciate the help we are offering them. When we try to help people like this, they are so ungrateful that it almost feels like they spit in our faces. When we give them helpful hints about how to do something better or attempt to warn them of a catastrophe that is headed in their direction, these people are so bullheaded that they refuse to listen!

When my wife and I were young in the ministry, we embraced everyone and gave our whole hearts to anyone who said they needed help. Often we invested ourselves, our time, and our money into people who didn’t have a job and didn’t even want to work, but who knew how to pull on our heart-strings to help them. Eventually my wife and I learned the hard lesson, as everyone must, that there comes a time when we have to stop throwing away our time and attention on people who don’t care.

Yes, these people are precious, and you need to treat each of them as a unique creation of God. But your gifts are also precious, and you need to be valued and appreciated as well. If you have given again and again to the same people, but they consistently refuse to appreciate or value what you have given them, you need to respect yourself enough to quit giving away the precious things of your life to people who don’t even care.

In Matthew 7:6, Jesus said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” When I was younger, this verse bothered me terribly because I didn’t like the idea of thinking of people as “dogs” and “swine.” Yet these are the words that Jesus used to describe the behavior of a certain category of people. Why did He use such strong words? What message was Jesus trying to give us when He said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs…”?

Let’s look at this verse today. Jesus said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine…” (Matthew 7:6). The word “give” is the Greek word didomi, which means to give, but here it is used with a negative, and the tense used in the Greek grammar should be taken as a command. This means the verse should be translated, “Never give.…” It emphatically declares that this is something that should never be done!

The word “holy” is the word hagios, which refers to something that is so hallowed that you would consider it to be very precious. So Jesus’ words should be translated, “Never give what is hallowed and precious to the dogs.…”  Once again, there is no room for misunderstanding here — Jesus said this should never be done!

When the Lord referred to “that which is holy,” he was speaking of those precious and holy things that God has done inside you. It may be the hard lessons you’ve learned as you’ve submitted to the dealings of God in your life; the insights you’ve gained over the years; or the wisdom you have amassed as the result of years of experience. It may also refer to the spiritual gifts that operate in your life. All these things are holy and valuable. It’s impossible to put a price tag on that which has cost you your life. Who can measure the tears, pain, and energy spent to gain those revelations and the lessons you have learned?

When you open your heart and share these holy things with someone else, you are opening the door to your most private treasures. When you begin to share details, secrets, insights, and wisdom that you’ve learned through the hard knocks of life and from the Spirit of God, it is a precious gift you are giving. You should never underestimate the tremendous value God places on the experience and wisdom you’ve gained. These are holy things.

Every time you break open the Word of God and share the principles, lessons, and insights you’ve gained as you have dealt with your own heart and sought to do God’s will, you are giving out precious things to those who listen. This is why Jesus ordered that you are “never to give that which is hallowed and precious to the dogs.”

But who are the dogs that Jesus is referring to in this verse? The word “dogs” comes from the Greek word kunun, which is the same word used to describe the vicious, wild, unclean dogs that roamed the countryside just outside the city of Jerusalem. These dogs were famous for pillaging the garbage dump outside the city where unclaimed dead bodies were thrown to rot or to be eaten by dogs and hungry vultures (see April 23).

These dogs were not tamed pets, but an out-of-control, wild, dangerous, wandering, nomadic collection of diseased, mangy dogs. Even worse, they were always trying to get into people’s houses and gardens where they could find better food. To prevent the dogs from getting in where they weren’t supposed to be, walls often had to be built as defenses to keep them out!

Sadly, there are some people who behave just like dogs, and apparently Jesus had encountered some of them. That is the reason He used the example of wild dogs to depict this category of people.

Jesus was referring to a type of people who are undomesticated and untamed. These are people who refuse to submit to anyone’s authority. They roam about like nomads, wandering from one church to the next, using and abusing one pastor after another. Out of control and beyond the reach of anyone’s authority, these people are constantly trying to get into places where they shouldn’t be allowed.

Jesus’ choice of words in this verse conveys this idea:

“Never give that which is hallowed and precious to wild, dangerous, out-of-control, wandering, nomadic, diseased, and mangy dogs….”

This tells you and me that before we open our hearts and begin to share our deepest experiences and most precious inner treasures — before we draw certain individuals close to us and invest our time and energy into them — we need to be certain that these are people who are serious about their walk with God. Our time and our treasures are too precious to throw them at the feet of people who don’t care and who won’t apply what we are trying to tell them.

Have you been putting your time and energy into someone who is bullheaded and resists you every step of the way? Does that person stubbornly defy your suggestions and act offended every time you try to help him? If so, maybe it’s time for you to turn your attention to someone else who is openhearted and who truly has a genuine desire to learn from you.

As I noted earlier, eventually there comes a time when you must stop wasting your time and attention on people who don’t care. You can pray for them, love them, and believe for God to work in their lives. But if they don’t demonstrate a sincere desire to learn, to receive from you, and to soak up the rich wisdom you are trying to impart into their lives, it’s time for you to stop trying to make them receive what they need and turn your attention elsewhere. That doesn’t mean you cease to love these people, but it does mean their reactions to you have revealed the true level of the relationship.

Open your eyes! The Holy Spirit will lead you to someone who is hungry and ready to learn! Release the person you’ve been trying to push and to force into changing against his will. If that person doesn’t want to change, you can’t make it happen. Instead, let the Lord lead you to those who are already praying and crying out for God to send someone like you to them!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am asking You to help me discern when the holy things I share are being appreciated and valued, and when I am being ignored by those I am trying to help. Forgive me for investing too much of myself into people who aren’t committed to applying what I have to teach them. I just wanted the best for them, and that’s why it’s been so hard for me to let them go. But today I am making a decision to start viewing myself, my experience, and my wisdom as treasures to be valued and held in esteem. From this moment onward, I ask You to help me invest these treasures into people who will listen, take what I have to share deeply into their hearts, and then apply those truths to their lives.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God has done wonderful things in my life that are a great blessing to others! I have something to share because Jesus has taught me so much. I am careful about what I say, and I allow the Holy Spirit to lead me to those I can open my heart to and pour out these treasures. God is helping me to be wiser about what I share and with whom I share it!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you relate to today’s Sparkling Gem? Have you ever opened up and poured out your heart to someone who you later discovered really did take what you said to heart? How did that experience affect you?

2. Have you ever kept hanging on to someone who was less concerned about his own spiritual growth than you were?

3. Have you ever been guilty of the negative attitudes and actions I’ve described today? Can you think of a time when someone tried to help and teach you, but out of pride you stubbornly resisted the help God was trying to freely offer you through that person?

A True Story To Demonstrate The Danger of ‘Cracks’ in Your Life

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
— 1 Corinthians 10:12

Here is an incredible story from history that demonstrates the danger of “cracks” in your spiritual life. The story comes from the city of Sardis, where one of the seven churches in the book of Revelation was located (see Revelation 3:1-6).

The city of Sardis was located very high on top of sheer cliffs that were almost impossible to climb. Because of their city’s high and remote location, the residents believed it couldn’t be penetrated or taken captive by a foreign enemy. It was this overconfidence that led to the demise of Sardis on more than one occasion.

Because those who lived in Sardis believed they were impenetrable, they felt sure that foreign aggressors couldn’t make war on them. As a result, they became proud, cocky, overconfident, lazy, and complacent. As this apathy took over, the residents smugly concluded that there was no other city as secure as theirs. As a result of this haughty attitude, they stopped giving attention to the foundations and walls of their spiraling city. Thus, while the people’s pride and overconfidence kept growing stronger and stronger over the years, they failed to notice that the foundations and walls of their city had begun to deteriorate and form massive cracks at the base of the walls.

At first the cracks were small and unnoticeable; but as time progressed, those tiny cracks grew bigger, deeper, and wider. Finally, the gaps in the walls became so wide that a human body could easily slip through them — but the people didn’t even realize that they were no longer secure! Due to the massive fractures in the walls and foundations, it had become very easy for an enemy to climb up the sides of the mountain, slip through the cracks, and march right into the city. Yet the city residents were completely unaware of the problem!

One night while the city of Sardis was sleeping, an enemy army scaled up the cliffs and slithered through the cracks in the foundations and walls of the city. It took only a few minutes for the enemy soldiers to creep through those fractures and silently make their way up to the top of the city walls. The invading army then settled into military positions with weapons fixed on the main routes of the interior so no one in Sardis could make a move without facing retaliation.

When the residents of Sardis awakened the next morning and ventured out into the streets, they were thrown into a state of panic and shock when they realized that they were surrounded on every side by an enemy force. Enemy forces had infiltrated into their midst before they knew those forces were even near!

Unfortunately, the city of Sardis is like so many of us. We become so busy with life, so tossed about by everyday cares, or perhaps so confident of our own abilities, that we become unaware of our own spiritual need. We go on in life as though we have no need to deal with the foundations of our lives, not realizing that tiny cracks are starting to form.

This kind of negligent thinking is usually accompanied by prayerlessness and insensitivity to the Spirit of God. A Christian who is too busy to get into the Presence of God is a Christian who will soon find himself in trouble, just like the city of Sardis.

This is why the apostle Paul said, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). The word “thinketh” is from the Greek word dokeo, which in this case means to be of the opinion, to reckon, to suppose, or to think, as it is translated here in the King James Version. In this verse, the word dokeo expresses the idea of what a person thinks or supposes about himself. There is nothing here to verify that the individual’s opinion is correct; only that it is the prevailing opinion he has regarding himself. In just a moment, you’ll see why this is so important for you to understand!

Next, Paul says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth.…” The word “standeth” comes from the Greek word istemi, which simply means to stand, to stand fast, to stand firm, or to stand upright. But when the words dokeo and istemi are combined together as Paul uses them in this verse, it means, “Wherefore let anyone who has the self-imposed opinion of himself that he is standing strong and firm.…” Then Paul adds the next critically important words: “…take heed lest he fall.”

The words “take heed” are from the Greek word blepo, which means to watch, to see, to behold, or to be aware. The Greek tense indicates the need not only to watch, but to be continually watchful. Paul is urging us to live in an uninterrupted state of watchfulness regarding our spiritual lives and the firm stance of faith that we claim to possess!

Why does he insist that we be so watchful? He goes on to say, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” The word “fall” is pipto, which means to fall. In the New Testament, it is used to depict someone who falls into a terrible predicament or into a worse state than he was in before. It can also depict someone who falls into sin; falls into ruin; or falls into some type of failure. The word pipto that Paul uses in this verse emphatically describes a downfall from a formerly presumed high and haughty position. Therefore, it isn’t just a little stumbling that Paul is referring to; it is a downward plummet that causes one to sorrowfully crash!

When you put all of this together, First Corinthians 10:12 could be translated:

“If anyone has the opinion of himself that he is standing strong and firm, he needs to be continually watchful and always on his guard lest he trip, stumble, and fall from his overconfident position and take a nose-dive downward to a serious crash!”

We must never become so smug that we fall into complacency. The day we allow that to happen, we are in big trouble! Like the city of Sardis, we may end up with huge cracks we aren’t even aware of. That is exactly when the enemy will slip in to take us captive in different areas of our lives. Therefore, we must match our confidence with watchfulness!

Unfortunately, it appears that the church in Sardis precisely mirrored the city of Sardis. Jesus told them, “…I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and are dead” (Revelation 3:1). At one time the church in Sardis had a great name and a testimony of being spiritually alive and vibrant. But because the believers in that church got too busy and failed to give heed to the foundational things in their lives, cracks began to form spiritually over time. Eventually the devil found a way to slip into that church to ruin its name and influence. Because of spiritual negligence, this church body lost its vitality until Jesus even said it was “dead.”

In Revelations 3:2, Jesus told them, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” I love this verse, for it alerts us to the fact that it is never too late to do something to fix the problem! Jesus said, “Locate the problem! Find a solution! Strengthen what you have! Do it before it’s too late!”

If you have a part of your life that is broken, cracked, or splintered, there is still hope that it can be restored. It may require emergency care to get it on life support for now, but it can be resuscitated and brought back to life again. Preventative medicine is always better than corrective surgery, so learn to take the right steps to avoid these problems.

It may seem like it takes a lot of time to stay watchful and prayerful about your spiritual life, but I assure you that it is less expensive and less painful than it is to crash spiritually and then have to fix things in your life that never had to be broken in the first place! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me stay watchful regarding the condition of my spiritual life! I recognize that sometimes I get too busy and fail to pray, wrongly presuming that I am strong enough to be able to survive in a state of prayerlessness. Especially after what I’ve read today, I realize that this kind of smugness and pride has always gotten me into trouble. Therefore, I turn from apathy and the wrong kind of confidence, and I turn to the Cross! Please examine my heart and help me identify those areas of my life that need to be fixed or corrected. Once You reveal to me what needs to be changed, please give me the power to apply the needed correction.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that I am sensitive to the Spirit of God! The Holy Spirit shows me every area of my life that is weak and that needs attention. When the Holy Spirit speaks to me, I am quick to listen and quick to obey. I urgently act to bring correction to every weakness in my character and my spiritual life where the enemy might try to penetrate. Therefore, the devil has no access to me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are you aware of any areas in your life that have deteriorated and need attention? It could be your marriage, your finances, your relationships, or a whole host of other vital areas of your life. Are there cracks in any of these areas through which the devil may try to sneak up on you and take you captive?

2. If your answer is yes, what do you need to do to seal those cracks and strengthen those areas so the devil cannot successfully lay siege to your life?

3. Can you think of one area in your life that was fractured in the past, but through God’s grace is now healed and sealed from any future attacks of the devil?

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
— John 15:26

When I was growing up, our church had regular visitation nights when we paid a visit to people who had recently attended our church or we visited the homes of unsaved people so we could present Christ to them. I literally hated those evenings of visitation and witnessing. The word “hate” is not too strong of a word, because this is precisely what I felt at the time. I hated it.

I loved Jesus with all of my heart, but getting into the car to go knock on doors to talk to people I’d never met in my life and read them a tract that they weren’t interested in hearing wasn’t my idea of having a good time. Other Christians had the same problem too. I know, because our pastor constantly had to coax our congregation to come to Sunday school visitation and nights of witnessing.

Nevertheless, I knew I was supposed to be a witness for Jesus. I can remember piling into my Sunday school teacher’s car, looking at the list of names we were to visit, and then going to knock on all those doors. I felt powerless, defeated, and joyless as we went, and although many believers would never want to admit it, they feel the same way about witnessing that I did.

The truth is, there is no true witnessing without the work of the Holy Spirit. We must have the Holy Spirit’s help as we testify. However, the good news is that Jesus said, “He [the Holy Spirit] shall testify of me.”

You see, the Holy Spirit loves to testify of Jesus. As a result of His deep love, adoration, and affection for Jesus, He loves to talk on and on about Him. So when you partner with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work through you, testifying becomes natural and simple instead of forced and difficult. It becomes an overflow of your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit, He said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Notice He said that the disciples would be witnesses “after” the Holy Spirit came upon them. To witness and testify powerfully about the resurrected Christ, supernatural power is required. Hence, without the Holy Spirit’s assistance, it is almost impossible to testify with confidence about Jesus Christ.

Before the Day of Pentecost, the disciples were similar to many Christians today. Rather than advancing upon the lost world with the message of Christ, they were hiding behind closed doors (see John 20:19). Unlike the great spiritual army they were supposed to be, they were simply “holding out” in a room, hiding for fear of the Jews.

Yet Jesus said the Holy Spirit would “testify” of Him, not make us fear-filled cowards! That word translated “testify” comes from the Greek word martureo, which means to witness or to give a good report. It’s where we get the word martyr, referring to someone who obtains a righteous testimony as a result of his willingness to accept suffering or death rather than renounce his faith in Jesus. That kind of courage comes only from the supernatural ability of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer to testify of Jesus, regardless of any pressure or opposition, no matter how severe.

It was not until Acts 2 that the disciples comprehended the greatness of the Holy Spirit’s ability to empower believers to testify. The witness of Jesus Christ literally blasted out of their mouths as they hit the streets of Jerusalem, fully yielded to the Holy Spirit. In addition to supernaturally declaring “the wonderful works of God” in other languages (see Acts 2:11), they proclaimed the Word of God intelligently in their own language to a people they had been afraid of the day before!

A good example is seen in the story of the apostle Peter. After he received the infilling of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, he was transformed! Standing before an enraptured crowd, Peter boldly proclaimed, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you…ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified…whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death…therefore being by the right hand of God exalted” (Acts 2:22,23,33). This was supernatural witnessing! This was supernatural proclamation!

Certainly there is nothing wrong with preplanned evangelism, door-to-door visitation, or evangelism programs that teach you the basics of witnessing. But when those programs are carried out without the power of the Holy Spirit, they are often dry, dead, and unsatisfying. Real witnessing or testifying of Jesus Christ can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Why lean on your own understanding when it comes to witnessing? Why reduce this powerful moment to a mere program? The Holy Spirit was sent to testify of Jesus! No one knows how to testify better than He does.

If you are afraid to witness, as I was when I was younger, I urge you to open your heart to the Holy Spirit and let Him release His power through you to become a witness for Christ. As you surrender your heart and mind to the Holy Spirit’s control, witnessing will turn from stressful drudgery into a joyful, rewarding, and exciting adventure!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I admit that I am one of those who has been uneasy and fearful about witnessing in the past. I’ve felt so uncomfortable — afraid that I’ll say the wrong thing or that someone will ask a question I can’t answer. I’ve been controlled by fear and dread when it comes to sharing my faith with others. In fact, I’ve even tried to avoid it, even though I know that I am commanded to be a witness for Jesus. I realize now that all that fear, frustration, and anxiety was the result of my attempt to do Your will in my own strength without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Starting right now, I want to do my best to surrender to the Holy Spirit — and let Him release His testifying ability through me. Holy Spirit, You love to talk about Jesus, and You know precisely the words to speak because You hold the key to every person’s heart, so speak through me to others and touch the part of their hearts that is ready to hear and receive the truth of the Gospel. I thank You, Holy Spirit, for making me an effective fisher of men!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am NOT afraid to witness for Jesus Christ. My testimony is powerful. People want to hear it. Because the Holy Spirit is my Partner, He knows exactly how to start every conversation, how to touch each heart, and how to win each person to Jesus Christ. I do not do this on my own, but I do it in partnership with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is jubilant when it comes to the subject of Jesus, and He releases that joy-filled attitude victoriously through me as I open up and testify of Jesus to others! I receive the power of God that makes me an effective witness for Him!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you been afraid to witness? Have you ever thought about why this is such a fearful thing for you to do? Maybe it would be good for you to think through this question and come up with a conclusion you can pray about.
2. There is special supernatural power available to help you share Christ with others. Have you ever experienced that supernatural power in a specific situation? What was that situation?
3. Who do you know that is unsaved and needs to hear the message of Jesus right now? Is it a friend, relative, coworker, or an acquaintance? Don’t you want that person to know Christ as you know Him? Why not yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him testify through you to that person? He’ll show you when and how to do it!

How Badly Do You Want To Win Your Race?

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but only one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
— 1 Corinthians 9:24

When runners run in a race, they have one thing foremost in their mind — the finish line! It was with this thought in mind that the apostle Paul wrote and told the Corinthians, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but only one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

The word “run” is the Greek word trecho, which means to run and indicates a constant and continuous pace. This word trecho often depicted runners who ran a foot race in a huge stadium before crowds of adoring fans. In order for the runner to run successfully and finish triumphantly, every ounce of his strength and his complete attention were required. Paul had this example in mind as he wrote this verse.

Just as it takes full concentration and a stride that is paced for a runner to run a long distance, Paul now uses the word trecho to tell us that if we are going to run our race as God expects, it will require 100 percent of our attention and will mandate that we learn how to run at a constant and continuous pace. In other words, we can’t try today, stop tomorrow, and then give it another shot a week later. We must be constant and consistent. Once we are in the race, we must run ferociously. On the other hand, to stay in the race on a long-term basis, we must learn to pace ourselves so we can stay consistent and avoid wearing ourselves out!

Paul tells us that we are to run until we “obtain.” The word “obtain” is the Greek word katalambano, which is a compound of the words kata and lambano. The word kata describes something that is coming downward, and the word lambano means to take or to seize something. When compounded together into one word, it becomes katalambano — a very powerful word indeed!

For example, the word katalambano can picture someone who has found something he has searched for his entire life. Rather than lose it or pass up the opportunity to possess it, he pounces on it with all his might, latching hold of it and seizing it with joy! Or once again, this word can portray a runner who runs fiercely, using every last ounce of his energy as he strains forward toward the finish line. At last he reaches the goal and crosses the finish line. The prize is now his! He won the reward because he put his whole heart, soul, and body into obtaining it!

In light of the words trecho and katalambano found in this verse, First Corinthians 9:24 carries this idea:

“Don’t you know that those who compete in a foot race run with all their might and strength against the other runners, but only one wins the competition and takes the prize? In light of this, run with all the might you can muster! Go the distance, and pace yourself to make sure you have enough energy to get to the finish line, where you will finally latch hold of and possess that which you have been so passionately pursuing!”

At the end of Paul’s own life, he wrote, “I have finished my course” (2 Timothy 4:7). He triumphantly exclaimed that he had done it! His race was finished! He had given his spiritual race all he had to give; he had run with all the might he could muster; and he had run so consistently over the years that he had finished a winner! All those years of being concentrated and focused finally paid off! If Paul had approached his race with an attitude of lazy complacency, the prize would have gone to another. But because he had “run to obtain,” he obtained!

Paul looked at his divine destiny that lay before him like a runner looks at the finish line. Rather than approach his spiritual race lazily and half-heartedly, Paul did everything within his power to preach the Gospel. If it meant getting a job on the side in order to be able to preach, that’s what Paul did (Acts 18:3). If it meant becoming as a Jew in order to able to preach to the Jews, that’s what Paul did (1 Corinthians 9:20). And if it meant becoming as those without law to win those who were without law, that’s what Paul did (1 Corinthians 9:21). He became all things to all men in order that he might win some to the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:22).

Paul suffered hardship, persecution, lack, cold, hunger, nakedness, homelessness, trouble from false brethren, trouble from true brethren — in the city, in the wilderness, and even at sea. He was beaten, afflicted by persecution, and troubled by religious people. Yet Paul never lost sight of the fact that he was called of God and that he would one day account for what he did with that calling. The finish line was always before him! He kept one thing foremost in his mind and preeminent in his thinking: I must obtain the prize. I must fulfill the purpose for which I was born. I must achieve the plan of God for my life.

Likewise, if you want to achieve God’s will for your life, there isn’t room for any other attitude than one of boldness and determination to keep running toward the goal with your eyes fixed on the finish line! This alone will take you through every obstacle and attack of the enemy and ultimately bring you to the place God desires for your life.

Like Paul, you must have resolve, strength of will, determination, backbone, high morale, courage, devotedness, persistence, tenacity, and an unrelenting mindset. You must put your foot down and take your stand as a no-nonsense kind of person who puts your whole heart into your calling. Sitting around hoping for something to happen isn’t going to produce anything! You have to jump in the race, fix your eyes on the goal, and run with all your might to the finish line so you can take the prize!

It’s time for you to “take the bull by the horns” and then hold on for dear life all the way to the goal! Make the decision that you are going to run the race, go the distance, and finish first place! Only you can make this choice, so why not get started today?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me become more fixed and focused on the goal You have given for my life. I don’t want to allow distractions to pull me away from Your plan any longer. I want to shut my eyes and ears to the voices that beckon me to slow down and then set my face toward the purpose for which I was born. I can only do this with the help of Your Spirit, so today I turn to You to empower me to do this and to carry it all the way through to completion!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am fixed and focused on God’s plan for my life. I have set my face like flint; I am unflinching and unstoppable in my pursuit toward the goals God has set for me. I have strength of will, determination, a strong backbone, high morale, courage, devotedness, persistence, tenacity, and an unrelenting mindset. I have put my foot down and taken my stand. I am in the race; I have fixed my eyes on the goal; and I run with all my might so I can take the prize! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. How well are you running your race of faith right now? Are you consistent, or are you on-again, off-again in the way you are pursuing God’s plan for your life?

2. If you keep running at the pace you’re running right now, how long will it take you to get to where God wants you to be? Is it even possible to reach God’s destination for you at your present pace?

3. What do you need to do to become more focused and less distracted? What do you need to remove from your life to help you stay on track and keep your sight fixed on the goal before you?