As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in Him.…
— Colossians 2:6,7

After my family would purchase our Christmas tree and bring it home each year, we’d face the same challenge every other family did — that is, how to get the tree to stand straight and to stay green for as long as possible. Because the tree had been cut from its roots, it had no nourishing life source to keep it vibrant, so something had to be done to keep it looking fresh and green.

Like millions of other fathers, my dad purchased a tree stand for our big fir tree. It was a red metal bowl with four green legs connected to a round metal ring at the top, and it had four bolts that went through the metal ring.

The round ring at the top could be adjusted to fit the width of the tree trunk, and my dad would insert the tree through the metal ring and center it so that the tree stood upright. Next, dad would tighten those four bolts into the tree from four directions so it would stand firmly and straight. Once he decided exactly where to set the tree in the living room, he’d set it in its place and pour water into the basin of the tree stand so the tree would have a water source to keep it looking lush and green. Every day or so, we had to refill that basin because the tree kept soaking up the water. If we forgot to do it, the tree would begin to dry up and the needles would become brittle and start turning brown.

Our beloved Christmas tree was basically a dead tree that we artificially kept looking beautiful by pouring water into the basin. Because it had been chopped from its roots, it had no natural source to keep it alive. Thank God, we as believers are not like Christmas trees, which are chopped off at the roots, fragile, and artificially kept alive. We are rooted in Christ and firmly established in Him. We are told in Colossians 2:6 and 7, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in Him….”

Unlike chopped-off Christmas trees, we believers are “rooted” in Christ, and we are “built up” in Him. The word “rooted” is the Greek word erridzomeno, the perfect passive participle of ridzoo. The word ridzoo means to be firmly rooted or fixed into place, like a tree that is deeply rooted and therefore immovable. It points to a past completed action, performed at the moment of repentance, with continuing results of salvation. The words “built up” in Him are from the Greek word epoikodomoumenoi, the present passive participle of epoikodomeo. This word depicts something that grows upward and is built on a strong, solid foundation — just like a tree’s root structure that holds the tree firmly in place and provides the tree with a constant stream of nourishment.

Today people purchase artificial trees as well, and although these decorations are beautiful, they are utterly lifeless. They are repackaged year after year into boxes and then pulled out each Christmas season, looking just as they looked during the previous Christmas season.

This isn’t the way it is for us who are in Christ. God doesn’t want us just to look like Christians, “artificial” and “packaged” but dull in our hearts toward Him. And He doesn’t want us to live “brittle and dry” as though we’ve been cut off from Him as our source of life. That’s why we must maintain our connection to Him, continually drawing our nourishment and life from Him. To that end, God commands us to focus on rooting ourselves deeply in Him so we can then be “built up” in Him. This can only happen as we regularly commune with the Lord in the Word and in prayer, allowing Him to refresh us continually with the waters of His Spirit that we need to stay alive and vibrant.

So in the midst of the busy Christmas season, don’t forget the most important thing of all — taking time to stop and honestly evaluate your walk with the Lord. Ask yourself today: What steps am I taking to stay connected to my root Source so I can keep receiving a fresh, daily infilling of the Holy Spirit?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I refuse to be beautiful but lifeless, having a form of godliness but denying the power that only comes through a vital connection with my Life Source, Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, I ask You to reveal to me how I can let my roots grow down deeper into Him in every way. Please help me remain deeply connected to Jesus by hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying His Word so my roots will grow down deep into Him. And as I become more deeply rooted in Christ, I thank You for helping me flourish and remain vibrant in every season of life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I put my roots deep into Christ and that His presence fills me with everything I need to be refilled and “reflourished” so I keep growing outward and upward as a Christian. I ask You, Holy Spirit, to assist me in remaining rooted and built up in Jesus Christ. I refuse to allow any event in life to cause me to behave as if I’ve been cut off from my roots in Christ Jesus. With my root structure based firmly in Him, I will continue to flourish as a growing Christian!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. How are you sending your roots deeper and deeper into Christ? Are you drawing your strength and resources from being rooted in Him?
  2. What is the evidence that manifests in your life that you are rooted and grounded in Christ?
  3. How can you tell if a believer is no longer drawing his or her life support from being rooted in Christ? What are specific indicators?

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
— Colossians 3:2

It is so easy to be distracted at Christmastime by the anticipation of gifts and holiday festivities. That is why it is so important that you follow Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:2 and purposefully “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” during the Christmas season. I’ll elaborate a bit more on this verse in just a moment, but first I want to tell you how my mother helped me as a young boy to focus my attention on the true meaning of Christmas.

Each year at Christmastime, my parents loaded my sisters and me into the car, and we drove to one of many Christmas tree “lots” in our city. We walked back and forth among the rows of trees, trying to select the tree that was just “perfect” for our family. Once we chose a tree, Dad purchased it, tied it to the top of the car, drove it home, and set it in our living room. Then we gleefully decorated it with silver tinsel, lights, strings of popcorn, Christmas bulbs of all sorts, and then we topped it off by putting a red and silver aluminum lighted star on the very peak of the tree. Doing this every year was a major event in the Renner household.

I’d sit and look at the lights and decorations literally for hours at a time. So to keep my focus fixed on Christ and not fixated on the Christmas tree, my mother came up with a brilliant idea — she encouraged me each year to make a manger scene out of construction paper. First, I pulled out my big box of crayons and colorfully drew a little barn, filled with animals, shepherds, wise men, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and an angel sitting on top of the roof of the barn. Then using my little scissors, I carefully cut it out. Right where “hoped-for” gifts would eventually sit under the tree, I’d use dried ice cream sticks and glue to concoct a support structure that would make my little Christmas scene stand upright under the tree.

For me, this was the most important element of our Christmas tree. Instead of focusing on the bulbs and lights, I’d lie on my stomach in front of the tree and look at my “work of art” that displayed the scene of that miraculous night when Jesus was born. By encouraging me to do this, my mother purposely helped me to keep the right focus at Christmastime and not dwell on Christmas tree ornaments or gifts. With her encouragement, Jesus’ birth — and the characters and scene around His birth — became the “center” for my little heart and imagination, and the tree became secondary. My focus shifted to the scene that sat right under the Christmas tree, where I could lie on the floor and imagine what Jesus’ birth must have been like.

I learned a big lesson from my mother at that early age. She taught me to do whatever is necessary to set my thoughts on things above and not on things of the earth (see Colossians 3:2). The word “set” in this verse is the present imperative active form of the Greek word phroneo, which means to think. However, the tense used here conveys a commandment to actively, purposefully, and deliberately think about something. In this case, we are commanded to actively think about things above, not on things of the earth.

Rather than focus on that Christmas tree, I needed to lift my thoughts and purposefully think about Jesus and what His birth meant to me. The word phroneo in Colossians 3:2 depicts a practical pursuit of lifting one’s thinking from things below — from being fixated on things below to becoming fixated on things above, or those things that are more connected with Heaven and the divine.

So I want to ask you: What are you purposefully doing this year to make Christ the “center” of your Christmas season for yourself and those around you? Are you focused and fixated more on the natural part of the season, or have you purposefully lifted your thoughts to Christ and the real message of the season? Today I want to encourage you to think of ways to elevate your thoughts — to set your mind on Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father. After all, He is the real reason for the season. You can do it, and you can help others do it too!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I ask You to help me purposefully and deliberately lift my thoughts to a higher realm than where they’ve been in past holidays. Yes, the season is joyful and full of festivities, but help me remember that it is Your commandment that my thoughts go to a higher place than short-lived, seasonal experiences. I will meditate on what really matters at this time of the year, and I will grow spiritually as a result!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am not fixated on low-level, temporal concerns that won’t even matter a year from now. I refuse to allow myself to become swamped in festivities, holiday events, and the giving and receiving of gifts. Instead, I choose to meditate on the real reason for the season. This year I lift my thoughts to a higher realm, and as a result, this will be the best Christmas season I’ve experienced in my life thus far!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. People often get so caught up in the purchasing and giving of gifts or in holiday activities that the real message of Christmas gets sidetracked in the midst of it all. What are you purposefully doing this year to make sure that Jesus remains the very center of your Christmas experience?
  2. If you have children, grandchildren, or other children who are close to you, what can you do to help them focus on the real story of Christmas this year?
  3. Christmas is a time when we celebrate God’s gift of love — Jesus Christ — by giving gifts to others. Some of life’s most precious gifts don’t cost any money at all; they cost only the sacrifice of ourselv In what ways can you give to others that will represent the true meaning of Christmas in their lives? Do you give to people who don’t know you or who can’t reciprocate by giving back to you?

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

Just as there are many ways to preach the Gospel, there is a diverse array of effective methods and strategies used to attract people to a place where they can hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. I told you yesterday how my mother was saved after attending a church service where candy was given to children and young people. I also remember our pastor promising 12-inch-long and 1-inch-thick peppermint candy-cane sticks to every child and youth who attended the annual special Christmas service at our church. The goal was to preach the Gospel, but the bait to get all of those people there was a huge candy-cane stick!

All of us kids in the church were so excited for that service when those 12-by-1-inch-thick candy canes would be distributed. In today’s society, this is probably not viewed the special treat that it was many decades ago. Today candy is available in overabundance. But when I was a young boy, it was still a real treat and something we looked forward to with great anticipation.

That particular service was always held on a Sunday night, and I can remember all the pews being packed with young children and youth. They had all come to the Christmas service — awaiting the moment when those huge, striped peppermint candy canes would be unpacked from big boxes and passed down the pews to each child and youth who eagerly awaited them. We weren’t allowed to open them in church, but as soon as the service was over and we were outside the building, we all raced to peel off the plastic covering on that striped candy cane to take our first lick!

I was a little different than the other kids in my approach. I barely pulled the plastic off the very top of my candy cane, exposing only the tip. And I was so excited to have that candy that I’d put mine in the freezer each year so it would last as long as possible. Once a day, I’d run to the freezer, take it out, and take a single fresh lick — then I’d wrap it back up and put it back into the freezer. I did my best to prolong this wonderful experience for as long as possible! One year I almost made my candy cane last until the next Christmas!

I also remember that each year at the special Christmas service, our pastor’s wife played Christmas carols on an antique pump organ that they assembled in the middle of our church platform. She played that old organ while our pastor led the church in singing Christmas carols. These songs always preceded the distribution of candy canes. Then the pastor would preach about the birth of Jesus — the real reason for Christmas — and give an altar call for people to come forward to surrender their lives to Jesus. Each year we would see a generous number of people walk the aisles to make that eternal decision. Only after that were the candy canes distributed. The candy was a big deal to the kids in the pews — but in truth, it was “bait” to attract lots of unsaved people to that service to hear the Good News of Jesus.

Those children and youth were attracted to church with the promise of a candy-cane stick, but they ended up in the family of God because the candy came with an opportunity to hear the Gospel message. As a result, the church grew, and Sunday school increased. But most importantly, people were born into the Kingdom of God — all because they came for the promised candy canes!

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commanded us, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The word “go” is the Greek word poreuthentes, a Greek word that portrays us being constantly on the go to make disciples of all men — and, of course, to ultimately baptize them “…in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” It is interesting that this verse doesn’t mention any specific techniques that we are to use in our pursuit of “going” to reach them. There are many ways to attract the lost to the best news in the whole world — the news that Jesus saves!

It’s possible for a person to be saved through a Gospel tract, a TV program, a personal testimony, or even through the offer of a peppermint candy cane. Carrying on this candy-cane tradition from my own childhood, our church in Russia offers packages of beautifully wrapped candy to children and youth each year at Russian Christmas — and it has the same effect today in Russia that it had on me as a small boy. And what is this effect? Not only do we see hundreds of children receive Christ as their Savior, but their parents, who are sitting in the adult service in the main auditorium, hear a Christmas message that is especially designed for them. Many of the parents who come are unsaved prior to attending our special Christmas services — and each year, our altar is filled with adults who come forward to repent and commit their lives to the Lord.

We must be serious about finding a way to bring the Good News to the lost. Jesus told us to be on the “go”— to be constantly in motion, trying to find ways to bring this glorious news to those who are in need.

So I want to ask you, what are you or your church doing this Christmas to attract people of all ages to the Gospel’s good news? Are you on the “go” as Jesus commanded us to be?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I ask You to help me be creative in the ways I introduce the message of Jesus to those who are unsaved. Help me think “outside the box” and plan new and creative ways to present this eternal message. I know people who need salvation, but I need to think of new ways to present the message to them. Lord, You are the ultimate creative force in the universe, so I ask You to release Your creativity in me and help me as I take this greatest message of all to those I love and am praying for to receive Christ.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and He empowers me with strength and creative ideas on how to present the message of Jesus Christ to my family, friends, and acquaintances. I have no excuse to say I am lacking ideas, because the greatest source of ideas lives inside me. So, Holy Spirit, I open myself to You — and I ask you to unleash Your creative flow to show me how to be on the “go” to take this saving message to those who are in need of it.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Like my mother, I was attracted to church at a very young age by the lure of candy. Have you thought about what you could offer children or young people that would make them attend a service where they will hear the saving message of Jesus Christ?
  2. Which individuals in your life are unsaved — whether children or adults — and need to hear the truth of the Gospel? What are you doing this year to make sure that each of these precious people knows the real message of the season?
  3. Who is on your prayer list to receive salvation this Christmas season? Have you made a prayer list of people who need to repent and surrender to Christ? Can you think of anything more wonderful that you could do than to pray for them to come to Jesus this year?

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them all. And there followed him great multitudes of people….
— Matthew 4:23-25

People come to Jesus in a myriad of ways. In the verses above, they were attracted to His miracles, signs, and wonders. People are still attracted to Christ’s miraculous power today, but sometimes the catalyst that brings a person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is far smaller and more subtle.

An example of this “saving influence” is how my mother came to know Jesus as her Savior as a young girl. Her catalyst was a gift of candy. My mother (whose maiden name was Erlita Miller) was eight years old at the time. A neighbor knew young Erlita was unsaved, so she invited her to attend the local Baptist church. That Christmas season, Erlita’s Sunday school teacher invited her to the church’s Christmas service — with the enticement of a satchel of candy that would be given to each child who attended that particular service.

A satchel of candy might not sound like much today, but when my mother was eight years old, World War II was an ongoing reality, and sugar, among other commodities, was scarce. This made candy a very rare treat. When Erlita heard that candy was going to be given to each child who attended the service, she asked her mother for permission to go. Not only did her mother say yes, but she even accompanied her to that event. That night Erlita not only received her small satchel of candy, but she also heard the Gospel explained for the first time. Later that same night at home, Erlita bowed down on her knees and surrendered her life to Jesus Christ. This amazing miracle all started with the lure of a small satchel of candy!

In the day in which Jesus lived, one thing that was a truly scarce commodity was the power to heal. Even if doctors could diagnose a medical condition, they didn’t have the medications to heal it. So when the news of Jesus and His healing power began to spread across the region, Matthew 4:24 says that a great “fame” of Him traveled throughout all those regions.

The word “fame” is the Greek word akoe, which is the Greek word for the human ear. In this case, it describes a rumor or something that is repeated or heard by those who were listening. The people who were really profoundly listening were those who needed a healing touch. The reports and “rumors” of the supernatural healing power of God were big news and served as a drawing card that beckoned people with all types of sicknesses and diseases. As a result of this news, people came from all over the surrounding regions, and multitudes experienced Jesus’ healing and delivering power. Then more news about Him spread further and further until the entire region was abuzz with “news” about Jesus and His healing power!

It wasn’t healing power that attracted my mother when she was eight years old. She didn’t need healing power. But that satchel of candy was a major attraction and a huge “rumor” in her neighborhood — which attracted scores of children and young people to a Christmas service at church, where they heard the message of Jesus.

It took something as simple as a gift of candy to bring my mother to the feet of Jesus — and so much fruit has resulted from my mother’s salvation! Little did she know that she would have a little boy who would grow up and impact the Russian nation with the Word and the power of God. The legacy she provided as a deeply committed Christian — to her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren — will speak for all eternity.

And to think that it all started with a neighbor’s invitation to attend her church — and a Sunday School teacher’s follow-up offer of a gift of candy given out at a Christmas service. It amazes me when I think of what that little satchel of candy has done to reach millions of people for Christ over the ensuing decades!

What are you doing this year to attract people to the message of Jesus Christ? Don’t deprecate yourself as insignificant or minimize your efforts as being small and unnoticeable. You have no idea who someone may turn out to be later in life. You don’t realize how your seemingly small touch of God’s love may result in magnificent eternal fruit. Every person is important — and it’s our job to take the “fame” of Jesus to as many people as possible and to draw them to His saving power, especially at Christmastime!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I thank You for the encouragement I’ve received today. I have discounted myself as being too insignificant to make a large impact in Your Kingdom. But today I see that I could make a huge and eternal impact with something as small as a satchel of candy! Rather than look at what I can’t do, help me look around to see what I have and what I could do that would make a difference in bringing others to Christ, especially during this Christmas season.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am an instrument that God will use to touch others with the Good News of Jesus Christ. I have judged myself as being small and insignificant for too long. From this moment forward, I make the decision to look around me to see what I have to offer others that will cause the love of Jesus and His name to become a reality to them. I am not insignificant or too minor to be used by God in a big way. God wants to use me to reach people — even those who will themselves later impact multitudes for the Kingdom of God!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. When you think of people who are lost and without Christ, what can you do this year to pique their interest in knowing Christ? What creative ways can you think of to bring them to a place where they can hear the true Christmas message?
  2. What memories do you have from Christmastime that attracted you to the saving message of Jesus Christ?
  3. Maybe it wasn’t candy that attracted you to Jesus, but was there something the Holy Spirit used to grab your attention and bring you to Jesus? What person, place, or thing did the Lord use to bring you to that moment of repentance and salvation?

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
— Romans 15:1

From time to time, we have all known individuals who wrestled with a problem or personal challenge, and we witnessed them struggle and inwardly fight for survival. In fact, you may know someone who fits this very description right now. Especially as we approach a holiday season, feelings of loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness can become even more pronounced. So what should you and I do to help people who are struggling and need support? What kind of support can we give to them to help them make it through Christmastime?

In Romans 15:1, Paul says, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” According to this verse, there are some of us who are stronger than others, and those of us who are stronger need to reach out to help those who are struggling!

Take a little time to ask yourself this question today: Is there someone I know who needs a little extra encouragement and strength that I could provide along the way?

In fact, Romans 15:1 says we “ought” to do this for those who are weak. The word “ought” is the Greek word opheilo, and it means to be morally obligated or to do something as an obligation. In other words, we are obligated to do this for others. After all the ways people have helped us in our times of need, we are spiritually and morally obligated to do the same for others.

But for whom are we to do this? This verse says we are to do this for those who are feeling overwhelmed with personal “infirmities.” The word “infirmities” is asthenema, and it describes those who are weak, powerless, or struggling in some way, whether physically or emotionally. The word “weak” is adunatos, which depicts those who are depleted of power due to something they have experienced or gone through that has rendered them weak.

Take a moment to ponder the following questions. When you see people struggle:

So this Christmastime, have you considered those who have suffered loss or stress due to hardships in their lives? What can you do to bring strength and friendship to those who have lost so much this year? This is your opportunity to be a source of strength to those who are in need. You may not know exactly what to say or to do, but perhaps your mere presence and friendship can bring them to a place of hope.

I encourage you to look beyond yourself and see what you can do for someone else this holiday season! If you’ll look to the Holy Spirit, He will show you how to be a source of power and strength to those who are in need. He is faithful to strengthen the weak and give power to the lowly — and He may very well choose you to be the vehicle that He uses to reach them with His love!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Heavenly Father, in the midst of this season when many are happy and joyfully celebrating Your gift of love to mankind, I realize that this is also a time of year when some people feel a profound sense of loss or sadness. Father, I ask You to let me be a hand of help to those who are in need. Help me bring encouragement to those who feel loss, who are disempowered, or who feel like they are struggling beyond their natural capacity to overcome. I know that You want to use me to reach them. I surrender myself as an instrument You can use to bring strength to the weak, hope to the hopeless, and support to those who need it the most. According to Romans 15:1, I commit to being a source of power and support to those who are in need.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I look beyond my own needs to see the needs of others. I am not self-consumed, but I am concerned about those about me who are suffering in all sorts of ways. The Holy Spirit uses me as I surrender to His sanctifying power so I can effectively undergird those who feel weak, especially in this holiday season. The Holy Spirit opens my eyes so I can see and feel what they see and feel and help them through their current struggle!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Do you know someone that needs extra-special care and support during this Christmas season? What can you do to reach out to them in a special way?
  2. Loneliness is a powerful for Can you think of individuals who may be experiencing loneliness this year and who need someone to reach out to them, comfort them, or befriend them in their time of need?
  3. There are many people who feel extra pressures when the holiday season comes. Have you looked around you to see who is struggling and who needs some emotional support? What can you do to help strengthen them in a time that could be especially troubling or emotionally difficult?

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
— 2 Peter 3:14

This is the time of the year when many people decorate their houses and dress things up for the Christmas season. People elaborately decorate the interior of their homes, sometimes even with multiple Christmas trees for different rooms, each tree adorned in a different style. They line the exterior of their homes, trees, and shrubs in colorful, flashing lights. People are so committed to this tradition, in fact, that many begin decorating a few days before Thanksgiving Day and then keep the decorations up until just after the New Year.

When I was a young boy, my family always had a Christmas tree, but we didn’t hang exterior lights on our house, trees, or shrubs. Yet each year my parents would pile all of us Renner kids into the car, and we’d drive around the neighborhood the week prior to Christmas to see how other people had decorated their homes. Then we’d drive across our city to a particular shopping mall to gaze at the beautifully illuminated trees. The sight was so beautiful that it looked nearly magical. It was a special family moment in our holiday festivities that we really enjoyed and looked forward to each year.

That was decades ago. Today people are more elaborate than ever before in the way they decorate their homes for the Christmas season. It can take many hours, a lot of manpower, and large amounts of money for people to adorn their homes the way many do today. The effect is beautiful and truly changes a neighborhood into a spectacular sight during this special time of year.

I appreciate the time and effort people put into celebrating at Christmastime. It is something I really miss, living in Russia, because Russians do not decorate for the Christmas season. However, regardless of how beautiful and ornate Christmas decorations are, they are all seasonal and temporary. The decorations go up, and then they are taken down, put away in boxes, and stored until the next Christmas season rolls around.

No condemnation is implied in this question, but when I see the manpower, time, and money people put into celebrating Christmas, I often wonder, While people are putting so much manpower, time, and money into decorating their Christmas trees and homes to celebrate Christ’s first coming, I wonder what kind of effort they are putting forth to prepare for His NEXT coming?

In Second Peter 3, the apostle Peter wrote an entire section of Scripture about how to be prepared for Jesus’ return — a task that requires an entirely different level of dedication than it takes to put up decorations for a short-lived Christmas season. Preparing for Christ’s return requires a lifelong commitment. In Second Peter 3:14, Peter wrote, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things [referring to the coming of the Lord], be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

First, Peter pled with us to “look” for the next coming of the Lord. The word “look” is from a Greek word that means to earnestly wait for with sincere and unrelenting conviction. In other words, we must have a constant awareness that the Lord could return at any moment. Christ’s coming for the Church should be such a reality in our hearts that we constantly wait for it with a conviction that consumes us and keeps us on our toes, so to speak.

Verse 14 says we need to be “diligent” in waiting for the Lord to come. The word “diligent” is the Greek word spoudadzo, which gives the sense of constant readiness and diligence. It means to work hard; to give it your best shot; to give it effort; or to commit yourself to it entirely and constantly. In other words, this kind of preparation is not seasonal or on-and-off according to the whims of emotions. It is a firm commitment to constantly be ready for the coming of Christ.

When I say “diligent,” I’m talking about a perpetual attitude that is conscientious and persistent and that never lets go of constantly preparing for Christ’s return for His saints. It is a conviction that one must never stop being ready and prepared for that grand moment. It is “decorating” one’s life with godly traits every day of the year!

Christ is coming back for His Church! If Christmastime reminds us of anything, it should be that since He came once, He will come again. Therefore, we must be constantly on guard and in a state of preparation so that He will find us fully “spiritually decorated” upon His arrival. He longs to find us “…in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14). If we would diligently and constantly work on adorning our spiritual lives with the same effort and dedication we put forth naturally to decorate our homes for Christmas, Christ would find us in splendid condition when He returns!

So I want to ask you today — what are you doing to make sure your spiritual life is fully decorated with life, godliness, purity, and spiritual power when Christ returns? If He were to come today, would He find you adorned with these godly attributes or lacking them? As you spend manpower, time, and money to decorate your physical house, it would be prudent for you to ask yourself if Christ would find these other vital qualities in your life when He returns for His Church. Forgive me for being so blunt, but are you putting as much into your heart and spiritual condition as you are putting into your physical decorations? That’s something for you to think about today.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I ask You to help me look truthfully at my own spiritual condition to determine if I am doing all I should to prepare for the coming of the Lord. There is no doubt that He is coming — and He is coming soon. But am I living in a way that will bring Him pleasure when He comes? This is a hard question to ask and pray, but I feel the need to be honest with myself and with You about it today, Lord. Speak to my heart, Holy Spirit, and reveal to me the areas where I need to put forth more effort into my spiritual life. I ask You to strengthen me with might in my inner man to be courageous, persistent, and diligent until it is done.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that how I adorn and decorate my life with godliness and holiness is more important than how I physically decorate my house for Christmastime. I want to be found pleasing to the Lord when He comes. Therefore, to get myself ready for His coming — and to stay prepared for His coming — is the chief goal of my life. Whatever changes I need to make, I am willing to make. Whatever God is calling me to lay aside, I am willing to lay aside. More than anything else, I want to be a vessel that is found pleasing to Jesus when He comes for His Church. Lord, if there is any hint of anything in me that is unwilling to yield to this as my chief desire, I declare that it’s moving out and being replaced by an unrelenting desire to be pleasing to You as the chief desire of my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Jesus’ first coming is, of course, worth celebrating, for it was the beginning of deliverance and salvation for the But in addition to decorating the interior and exterior of your home, what are you doing to prepare your heart for the soon coming of Jesus for His Church?
  2. Do you live with a daily awareness that Christ will soon return? Does the condition of your heart, your mind, and your soul reflect that the blessed hope of eternity consistently influences how you choose to live? What changes do you need to make in your spiritual life?
  3. What are you doing to help others get their lives in order to be prepared to meet the Lord in peace? Do you regularly reach out to share the Gospel with people who need to know Christ as their Savior?

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth….
— Romans 1:16

In the early days of our TV ministry, there was a national journalist who literally despised me because I taught the Bible on television. An avowed atheist, he often took advantage of his deep dislike for me by printing stories of my preaching in the national newspaper. In each of these news stories, he likened my preaching about Jesus and His parables to fairytales, and he particularly delighted in calling me “the Pinocchio preacher.” For years, he had taken every advantage possible to attack me and to deal a blow to the Gospel message.

One day I was flying from Riga to Moscow, and — lo and behold — who was seated on the plane directly across the aisle from me but this journalist who treated me with so much disdain! This man was filled with antagonism and hatred toward the Gospel, and he badgered me the entire flight. But regardless of how hard he tried to pick a fight with me, the peace of God ruled in my heart, and I responded to him in the love of Christ — which I think made him even angrier. He was traveling with a group of like-minded journalists, and he actually stood up on the plane and announced: “Hey, look who we’re flying with — the Pinocchio preacher!”

The companions of this journalist all joined in with him, laughing and mocking me. The more hard liquor they drank, the greater the velocity of their insults thrown my way across the aisle. The flight attendant became embarrassed and apologized to me for their behavior, but there was nothing she could do to stop them once they started. They were doing their best to humiliate and embarrass me in front of the other passengers in our section of the plane.

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you were mocked because of your faith? It isn’t an enjoyable experience, but if you’ve ever endured such persecution, please know that you are not alone.

On that flight as I suffered the brunt of those men’s words for several hours, I made up my mind to grab hold of and meditate on Romans 1:16. In that verse, Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth….”

The apostle Paul faced hostile reactions to the Gospel in both the pagan and Jewish worlds. There were times when he was not only poked fun at, but he was physically abused by those whose hearts were filled with antagonism toward him. When Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,” he used the Greek word epaischunomai — translated as “ashamed” in this verse, which is a compound of epi and aischunomai. The word epi means for, and aischunomai means to be confounded or embarrassed. Literally, Paul declared that he did not find the Gospel a reason for embarrassment. In modern language, Paul did not find the Gospel a reason to feel awkward, self-conscious, or humiliated.

On the contrary, Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe.” Paul knew that for those who believed, the Gospel unleashed the power of God! The word “power” is the Greek word dunamis, a word that generally denoted the strength of a whole army. Paul was in fact declaring that when faith is mixed with the Gospel and declared, it releases divine energy equal to the fighting force of an entire army!

A faith that is active releases this power for those who are “believing” — that is, for those whose faith is engaged. Based on the usage of dunamis throughout history, it clearly means that this power of God is like a host of troops placed at the disposal of anyone who has his faith forward-directed and actively working. Why would anyone be ashamed of such power?

I may have looked like one singular man sitting in that section of a plane with many people arrayed against me, mocking me. But inside me, there was an entire “army” of divine strength and power at work — and that’s true for anyone who believes! The power that was in operation that day was far greater than those who were poking fun at me. And it was that dunamis power that enabled me to love them in spite of their ugly behavior.

When I find myself in a difficult situation because of the hurtful actions of people or because life is sometimes tough and I’m tempted to feel isolated and alone, I often stop to meditate on the dunamis power of God that is at work within me. There is a mighty reservoir of divine power residing in me every moment of every day, and that means I never face a truly isolated moment. God has placed a “full army” of dunamis power at my disposal!

This is true for you too. If you feel isolated, alone, and solitary — and it seems like you’re facing troubles with no one at your side — let me remind you that God’s dunamis power is inside you and is continually available to you if you will engage your faith.

I saw that atheist reporter again years later, and he was still hostile toward the Gospel. I felt sorry for him, for the very thing he hated and resisted had the power to completely alter his life, change his disposition, and deliver him from a horrible eternal fate. But as before, his heart was hard like stone, and he wanted nothing to do with the Gospel or with “the Pinocchio preacher.”

Today I want to encourage you that when your faith is forward-directed, it throws open the door for a whole army of divine power to work on your behalf. The Holy Spirit dwells within you. He is the very source of dunamis, and He is just waiting to unleash that power on your behalf! All He needs is for you to be in a state of “believing.” It will throw open the door for that dunamis power to flow through you and strengthen you against any opposition or obstacle you could ever face!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I thank You for the Person of that the Holy Spirit who resides within me. I acknowledge that His presence within me has imparted to me dunamis power — the strength of an entire army. Therefore, with confident assurance I boldly proclaim: the Greater One in me is mightier than any force that opposes me in this world! Father, I ask You to forgive me for times when I’ve retreated and acted in shame about the Gospel. I know I should have engaged my faith and released a flood of divine energy to empower me and overwhelm the enemy. So from this moment on, I make a firm decision that I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, but I will allow its strengthening might to flow through me, no matter what opposition or obstacle I face!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I declare that there is a whole army of divine power at my disposal because the Holy Spirit indwells me. I believe the Gospel and its claim; therefore, I am strong and courageous knowing that divine signs of God’s presence and approval are manifest in my life. I am not confounded, confused, or embarrassed when others poke fun at my faith. I don’t shrink back or cringe in terror or intimidation. Instead, I simply draw from the supply of the Holy Spirit within me, engage my faith, and let His power strengthen me for what I am confronting at that moment. It is absolutely true that greater is He who is in me than He that is in the world! This dunamis power in me lifts me above any foe around me, and as I continually activate God’s power by faith, I am an overcomer over every challenge that I’ll ever face in this life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Can you think of a time when you felt bullied or made fun of because of your faith? How did you respond when that event occurred in your life?
  2. Now that you know the dunamis power of God is at your disposal, what will you do differently the next time you’re challenged in your faith?
  3. After your salvation, when were you filled with the Holy Spirit? What was that experience like when you received His supernatural enabling power?

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
— Mark 9:23

When our TV program was broadcast on Channel One in Belarus, every home in the entire nation had the ability to watch it. The proof of how many people watched our program was the mountains of mail we received every week from Belarus. The impact we had was simply phenomenal.

So at the urging of a pastor in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, we took the train to that city and held a three-day meeting for our television viewers. People came from all over Belarus, to the point that the auditorium could not hold everyone who tried to get into the meeting. It blessed us to see such a response to the Gospel message delivered through our TV program.

However, the first night of the meeting was a real struggle because they gave me an interpreter who knew almost no English. All night he and I wrestled back and forth on the stage, trying to understand each other, and I knew that the crowd was missing what God wanted to say to them. When the meeting was over, I was exasperated and exhausted. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, and I didn’t want to pray for anyone. I just wanted to go home to our hotel and forget about what a disastrous evening that first meeting had been.

Yet there was a little lady who I could not shake off. She kept following me and saying, “Lay your hands on my ear, and my hearing will be restored.” To be honest, I was so discouraged from the evening that I didn’t want to pray. But she adamantly insisted, “Lay your hands on me, and I’ll be healed.”

The woman followed and followed me until finally, I asked an usher to remove her. I just wasn’t in the mood for praying and really didn’t believe anything would happen if I prayed for her that night. As they dragged her away, she kept yelling, “Just lay your hands on me, and I’ll be healed. Did you hear me? Just lay your hands on me, and I’ll be healed.” I watched as the ushers removed her, and I did not pray for her.

Before we left the auditorium that night, the pastor and I had a serious talk about how to choose interpreters, and I pleaded with him to get me an interpreter for the next night who knew English. By the time our talk concluded, it was very dark outside. We carefully made our way down the steps to the car, when suddenly a familiar voice called out from the shadows: “Lay your hands on me, and I’ll be healed!”

Although I felt absolutely nothing, I quickly turned to the deaf woman in that pitch darkness. Out of exasperation, I placed my hands on each side of her head, and commanded her ears to be opened. To my surprise, she started weeping and cried, “My ear has been opened! I can hear! I told you that if you would just lay your hands on me, I would be healed, and that is exactly what has happened!” She came back to the meeting the next night and publicly testified that her deaf ear had been completely healed as I laid hands on her the previous night. It remains one of the most remarkable miracles I’ve ever witnessed in my ministry — because I know it had nothing to do with me. It had to do entirely with that woman and with what she believed!

This woman in Minsk reminds me of the words that Jesus spoke in Mark 9:23. In that verse, Jesus addressed a father who had a son who was inflicted with a dumb and deaf spirit. The father cried out for Jesus to help his son. And “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). What a promise Jesus made to this father and to all who dare to believe! According to this verse, “all things are possible” to them who believe!

“All things” in Greek is panta, an all-inclusive word that throws off all limitations and blows the door open for anything to happen to a person who believes. The word “possible” is the word dunata, a form of the word dunamis, which is a well-known and often-used word that carries the idea of power, strength, and ability. This word was even used to depict the strength of a whole army. Thus, when a person believes, it opens the door for power, strength, and ability to work — and that power is so mighty, it is like the full force of an entire army that is moved to operate on your behalf. How would you like the full force of an army to be at your disposal? That’s what happens when you believe!

But wait, there’s more that you must see in this verse. It concludes by saying all things are possible “to him that believeth.” In Greek, the tense means that all things are possible to the one who is believing. This is not a promise to one who used to believe or to one who once believed in the past. It is a guarantee to the one who is presently believing for something to happen. If a person will get in faith and stay in faith, Jesus says that absolutely anything can happen. For the believing one, anything and everything is possible!

That leads me back to the woman in Minsk. She came to that meeting believing that if I would touch her, she would be healed. She was so filled with faith that when I didn’t cooperate with her, it didn’t move her faith at all. She simply refused to leave the facility until I touched her and she received her healing. And what happened? Exactly what she believed. I touched her, and the power of God moved according to her faith — and within seconds, she was weeping because her hearing had been instantly restored. It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with her and what she believed. What she believed is precisely what she received. It came to her exactly as she had said: “Lay your hands on me, and I’ll be healed.”

This woman was determined that neither she nor I would leave that facility without my laying hands on her and her hearing being restored. To be honest, I didn’t even pray when I touched her. I simply lay my hands on her, as she demanded, and spoke to the ear to be opened — and the power of God moved liked a mighty army in response to her faith and opened her ear! Her miracle had everything to do with what she believed.

If you are believing right now, you are in a position for the ability of God to move against your problem and bring you the result you seek. If you are in faith and staying in faith, it’s only a matter of time until things will begin to change. That’s a promise that Jesus made to you, to me, and to anyone who will believe! So let’s get our faith in gear and determine to STAY in faith! As we make that rock-solid commitment, we’ll begin to experience the truth that anything really is possible to the one who believes and releases his or her faith!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I realize that I have let some things slip regarding my walk of faith. Lord, I repent for being so carnal that I was moved by what I saw and what I felt. I commit afresh not to be provoked by circumstances that are subject to change. By Your grace, from this moment onward, I will be moved to take action only on the Word and by the Spirit of God. Thank You for strengthening my resolve to make a quality, lasting decision to step it up and get my faith in gear! You empower me by Your Spirit to stay consistent with my intake of the Word of God so my faith can remain fresh, current, and active and I can be strong in spirit to receive what I need.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that my faith is alive and well and that I remain “in faith” to receive what I need! I keep my fellowship with the Lord intimate, fresh, and vibrant by spending time in His Word and in prayer daily. I keep myself in the love of God, and as a result, my faith does not fail. I give my attention to God’s words and His desired end results; therefore, the Lord Himself keeps my thoughts in agreement with His will. I speak and act in agreement with God’s words; therefore, I walk in and release the peace, wisdom, and supernatural ability of God everywhere I go. According to Jesus’ promise in Mark 9:23, anything and everything is possible to me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. What do you think about the tenacious attitude of the woman in Minsk and the fact that she would not leave the facility until she received her hearing? Do you see that her healing had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with what she believed? Are you as persistent as she was to receive from God?
  2. What exactly are you standing on the Word of God and exercising your faith to believe for right now? Are you unwilling to be denied?
  3. Would God say that your faith is presently being released? Did the words that were once burning and alive in your heart now only flicker as a fact that you vaguely recall but no longer act upon? Or would He say that you have grown old in your confession and that your faith needs to be rekindled? If your faith needs to be rekindled, what are you going to do to make that happen?

Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6,7

When our TV ministry first began in the former USSR, we needed low-hanging, directional lights for our studio. Our staff was inexperienced, but they were all we had, so I sent them out to search for lights we could use to illuminate the studio where we were going to be filming our TV programs. With great delight, they returned with 40 big lights that they were sure would work to light up the studio. For a week, the staff members carefully hung the lights in place and tested them. After being satisfied that the lights were exactly what we needed, they said, “OK, now we can begin to film new TV programs!”

I was excited that the studio was so well lit and that the low-hanging lights looked so professional. But our studio had no air-conditioning, which made the room very hot. To stay cool, I wore a dress shirt, tie, and suit jacket from the waist up — and from the waist down, I wore shorts and put each leg into a big bucket of cool water in an effort to cool down while we were filming. Even with my legs submerged in that water, sweat would pour from my brow, and I would have to wipe my forehead the whole time we filmed. However, on this particular day, it felt especially hot — much hotter than usual.

After two hours of non-stop filming under those 40 lights, I felt very hot, so I took my legs out of the buckets, untied my tie, unbuttoned my top shirt, and went outside to get some fresh air. When I walked into the edit suite where the producers were working, they were trying to adjust the colors on the camera, because my skin looked so red on the monitors. They twisted this knob and that knob, trying to get the color to look right. They were so focused on what they were looking at on the monitors that they never actually looked at me! Eventually I heard them say, “We think we’ve got it fixed. So, Rick, why don’t you head back into the studio, and let’s film more programs.”

Once I resumed filming, I didn’t stop again until I had filmed a total of eight hours of TV programs that day. It was a personal record for the most TV programs I had ever filmed in a single day.

But this time when I walked out of the studio, the producers looked at me to congratulate me for completing such a successful day. When they saw me, they gasped. It was at that moment they realized the 40 lights they were so proud of — that I had been sitting in front of for eight hours — were sunlamps! My face was severely burned and red beyond imagination. Try to imagine what you would look like if you sat in front of 40 sunlamps for eight hours! To make matters worse, I had been sitting in shorts with my legs in two buckets of water, and the radiation from those lamps literally scorched my legs. But the worst of all was what happened to my eyes — I could hardly see because my eyes were so burned. And every time I blinked, it felt like shredded pieces of glass were being dragged across my eyes.

At that time, pharmaceutical products were scarce in the former Soviet Union, so there were no medications or ointments to put on my burnt body. Instead, a local doctor recommended that I be covered in sour cream and that I then be tightly wrapped in plastic, like Saran Wrap, to keep the moisture trapped around my body! So I lay on the couch as Denise and her helpers literally doused me from head to toe in sour cream, and then had me roll over and over so the plastic would tightly stretch around me. My arms were trapped under the plastic; my legs were bound; I was immovable. I remember telling Denise that I felt like a huge enchilada!

Hour by hour, the pain increased all over my face and legs — every place that had been exposed to the 40 sunlamps. I cried because of the horrible pain in my eyes every time I blinked. We called a doctor in the United States who warned that it was possible I would wake up blind the next morning because I had spent eight straight hours looking directly into 40 sunlamps. Fear tried to grip my heart. Denise lovingly stayed right at my side the entire night to comfort me because of the pain that wracked my body. The pain in my eyes was especially horrific. Denise comforted me and reassured me that I would be able to see and that, by the grace of God, we were going to get through this horrific ordeal!

That night I shuddered with pain every time I blinked, and fear kept trying to sink its talons into my mind. So to fight against that fear, I decided to meditate on Philippians 4:6,7. When the pain raged through my eyes, I would quote this verse and focus on the promise of God instead of my excruciating condition. I probably quietly spoke that passage to myself hundreds of times that night as I released all my faith that my eyes would be all right, regardless of the pain that tormented me throughout that seemingly endless night.

The first verse of this passage, Philippians 4:6, tells us not to worry about anything. It reads, “Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.” Honestly, it took all of my determination that night not to worry about my eyes.

But the verse commands us to present our supplications and requests to God with thanksgiving and to leave worry behind. So that night I cried out to God and made my request known, asking for my eyesight. Hour after hour, I expressed thanksgiving to the Lord and did my best to praise Him from a grateful, thankful heart in spite of the pain. Denise prayed with me and helped me keep giving thanks to God through the night.

I wish that I could tell you that night was my last experience with sour cream and plastic, but the doctor recommended that I continue this treatment over the course of a few more days. As I lay trapped in that plastic during those long days — smelling like sour cream and suffering from tremendous pain all over my eyes, face, hands, and legs — I especially focused on God’s promise in Philippians 4:7. This verse specifically held me in peace during that difficult time, and it has done so again and again throughout the years as I’ve continued to walk with Jesus. Verse 7 says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The word “peace” is the Greek word eirene — a powerful, often-used word in the New Testament that describes tranquility experienced after the cessation of war. It conveys the idea that the conflict is over; the war is finished; victory is achieved; and it is time for tranquility and rest. I had already expressed my supplications and thanksgiving to God, so it was time for me to rest in the fact that the battle for my sight was won. Since I had fulfilled the conditions of verse 7, I rested and allowed tranquility to come over me, and that tranquility ministered “peace” to my soul when I desperately needed it.

As I experienced this peace of God, it spoke to me far louder than the pain. Inwardly I knew that the battle for my eyes was over and that they were going to be all right. And just as verse 7 promises, “the peace that passeth understanding” began to “keep” my heart and mind.

The word “passeth” is a form of the word huperecho, which denotes something that is superior or surpassing. Because nothing compares to it, it is in a category of its very own. Furthermore, because this Greek word is a participle, we know that the peace of God expresses itself in us continuously. Thus, when I claimed peace in my situation, it began to continuously work in my heart and soul.

The word “understanding” is a translation of the Greek phrase panta noun, which literally means all understanding. It encompasses everything connected to the mind or reason. God’s peace surpasses all reasoning, all understanding, and all thoughts that enter and work through the mind. This means that even though my mind screamed pain, God’s peace surpassed its vehement voice and enabled me to hear His healing words.

Paul concludes verse 7 by saying “…The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The word “keep” is the Greek word phroureo, which means to guard. However, it specifically referred to soldiers whose mission was to stand guard at the gate of a city to decide who was permitted inside. They had the power to decide who entered and who was restricted from entering the city. The word “heart” is kardia, which describes the center of a person from which thoughts and affections flow, and “mind” is noema, the Greek word for thoughts.

When you take this entire picture conveyed in verse 7 into consideration, we see that the peace of God stands like a guard at the entrance to our hearts, affections, and thoughts. If we allow peace to work, it will say “yes” to healthy, positive thoughts that want to enter those “gates” to our lives. But if something negative, detrimental, or destructive wants to enter our hearts, affections, and thoughts, the peace of God acts as a guard to block it from gaining access inside us. Thus, the peace of God acts as a sentinel of our hearts and minds.

As I recovered from my 8-hour encounter with 40 sunlamps, scary, fear-filled thoughts tried to enter my heart and mind. But when I claimed Philippians 4:6 and 7, the peace of God stood at the door to my heart and mind and refused to allow negativity and fear to enter my heart, The peace of God — the guard to my heart and mind — threw open the gates for a positive, healing influence. As a result, I recovered completely.

If you find yourself in a difficult position, and fearful thoughts try to enter your mind and emotions to create havoc, be quick to apply Philippians 4:6,7 to your situation. Very simply, do the three requirements laid out in verse 6:

  1. Refuse to worry.
  2. Let your requests be made known unto God by prayer and supplication.
  3. Express thanksgiving — because heartfelt thankfulness is a powerful force to lift you up!

As you fulfill these conditions, God will go to work to perform His promise in verse 7.

  1. The peace of God will go to work for you, producing supernatural tranquility and rest for your soul.
  2. That peace will surpass any other thoughts that are trying to make you fearful.
  3. That peace will act as a guard to prevent wrong thoughts from entering your heart, mind, and emotions — and it will throw open the door for positive, faith-filled thoughts to find entrance to your mind as well!

Philippians 4:6,7 is a very powerful passage of Scripture. If you’ll fulfill the conditions of verse 6, God will be faithful to fulfill His promise to you in verse 7. So if you need a measure of peace in your life, you can assuredly know that God is anxiously waiting to fulfill His promises to you and to all those whose lives you touch. Just allow the grace of God to touch you today, and watch how He strengthens you as you shake off the chains of anxious, negative thinking!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for Philippians 4:6,7. Starting today, I ask You to help me fulfill the conditions in verse 6. And as I do, I expect You by faith to start performing the promise in verse 7 on my behalf. I thank You that Your peace will bring tranquility and rest to my soul and serve as a sentinel to prohibit detrimental, damaging, and negative thoughts from entering my heart. Jesus fought the battle for me; the war is won; and now it’s time for peace to express its full power in me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I boldly confess that I refuse to worry as I let my requests be made known unto God. I give God thanks for working in my life. As a result, I will experience the peace of God, and it will work for me to produce supernatural tranquility and rest for my soul. That peace will surpass any thoughts, which are trying to make me fearful. That peace will act as a guard to keep wrong thoughts from entering my heart — and it will throw open the door for positive, faith-filled thoughts to find entrance instead.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. Can you remember a moment in your life when fearful thoughts assailed your heart and mind, but after prayer, the peace of God brought tranquility and rest to your soul?
  2. Do you know any individuals who are struggling and need the encouragement found in this Sparkling Gem? If you really care about them, why not share it with them and let it strengthen them for the fight they are in?
  3. Does peace or anxiety rule you? If you tend to be tossed about by anxiety, I want to tell you emphatically that the peace of God is the best medication for the Ask God today to let His peace that passes understanding go to work in your heart, mind, and emotions!

…What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
— Matthew 24:3

Today I want to talk to you about “where” we are in time in reference to the return of Jesus and the end of the age. Many seem to have an inner knowing that we are getting very close to the end, so let’s look at Matthew 24:3 to see what Jesus Himself had to say about His return and the end of the age.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ disciples took an opportunity to ask Him a very pointed question about the last days. They specifically asked the Lord, “…What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).

Let’s make one thing clear as we get started. The word “world” in this phrase does not refer to the end of the world itself — because the world will never end; it will be changed (see 2 Peter 3:12,13). The word used here was translated from the Greek word aionos, which refers to an age. Thus, the disciples were actually interested in knowing when this present age would come to a close. The New King James Version states it correctly: “…What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

This word “end” in Greek is the word suntelos and it describes the completion, conclusion, closure, culmination, ending, finish, sum-up, or the ultimate wrap-up of a thing. The disciples wanted to know what the sign would be that this current age was experiencing its final wrap-up.

The word “sign” is a translation of the Greek word semeion. It was used to describe an authenticating mark or a guarantee. It could have been used to authenticate that a document was real or that an object was genuine. In other words, semeion indicated the absolute proof, reality, or genuineness of a thing.

An example of semeion could be signs placed outside a city limits as indicators to help travelers authenticate exactly where they were at the moment. This means the disciples were asking Jesus what sign should be taken as an authenticating mark or guarantee — an absolute, genuine proof — that His coming was imminent and that the end of the age was nigh.

Because I live in a suburb of Moscow, I’ll use my daily travels to this enormous city as an example of the point I want you to understand.

No matter what direction I approach Moscow from, I can see signs on the road that are strategically placed to let travelers know they’re headed toward the city limits. The closer I get to Russia’s capital city, the closer together the signs appear so that I can know how far I have remaining on my journey before I cross the border into this immense region. The signs validate and alert me to the fact that I am approaching my destination.

The nearer I get to this city, the environment around me also starts to change. For example, on my route into Moscow from my home, I see a lot of Russia’s countryside along the way. The road I travel winds among beautiful spruce and fir trees. But the closer I get to this metropolitan center, the scenery begins to change. I see industry, multifamily housing, and high-rise buildings, and the roads become denser with traffic.

At first, these changes are subtle and barely noticeable. But the nearer I get to my destination, the more obvious and vast the changes in the scenery become. As I reach the very outskirts of the city, the changes appear almost abruptly. Change, change, change — rapid change — is what I encounter as I travel from just outside Moscow to just inside the city.

When I finally reach the city limits, I see a huge sign that reads MOSCOW. That sign separates the outskirts from the city itself, and the moment I drive past it, the sign authenticates that I have entered new territory. I’m no longer traveling toward Moscow — I have entered the city and arrived at my destination.

When I’m driving from the countryside toward Moscow, without signs telling me where I’m headed, I could think I’m just somewhere out in the country. In other words, I would know only intellectually that this immense city was somewhere out in front of me — just as we know that Jesus’ return will occur at some time out in front of us.

Of course, travelers could understand when they’re about to approach the city limits of Moscow based on their Global Positioning System, their rate of speed, and traffic conditions. But under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t know that their arrival was imminent without signs.

As we approach Christ’s return and the end of this present age, we will likewise see visible changes all around us that appear almost abruptly. I actually believe that we’re no longer approaching the last part of the last days; rather, we have crossed the border, and we are already there.

When did the “last days” begin? In biblical terms, the “last days” officially began on the Day of Pentecost. Peter announced in Acts 2:17 and 18 that the last days of this age were officially initiated when the Holy Spirit was poured out. So for the last approximate 2,000 years, we have been living in “the last days” on God’s prophetic calendar. We are now living in the final stages of this period.

Let me use the example of a football game to illustrate this point. When the players return to the field just after halftime, play begins in the second half, or the last half, of the game. That would be an example of the beginning of the end. But when the game is winding down in the last half to the last minutes and seconds of the fourth quarter, that very vividly describes a wrap-up — the very end of the game.

I personally believe that this perfectly depicts where we are in history. We’ve been playing this last-days game for about 2,000 years. But now it’s the fourth quarter, and the game is winding down to the last “minutes and seconds” before Jesus comes and the game is wrapped up.

As we head into the very last moments of the last days, you and I are on this end-times team as members of the Body of Christ. God, who summons each generation to live on this planet, has called you and me for such a time as this (see Isaiah 41:4; Esther 4:14). And with that calling, a divine role has been assigned to each one of us. It has never been more important to discover that role, get in our place, and apply ourselves to it spirit, soul, and body with all the strength and enthusiasm we can muster.

As believers, we must be fully engaged and not sidelined or relegated to “sitting on the bench” in these last moments of the last days. If we will honor the transforming Cross of Christ and His Word, we can be confident we’ll be positioned to participate in this last, greatest move of God’s Spirit the world has ever seen!

Are you ready?

This is a time to set our hearts to seek God and get prepared for the last moments of this age that Jesus prophesied about. The fact is that we are privileged to be personal witnesses of the time that the Old Testament prophets, Jesus, Paul, John, and Peter all prophesied would come! We are truly a chosen generation as we experience the wrap-up of the age and wait for the soon return of Christ!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY


Father, I ask You to help me do all I can to prepare my heart for the soon return of Jesus. Times are changing — and I’m thankful to know what Jesus had to say about the end of the age in Matthew 24:3. Help me comprehend the significance of the fact that I’ve been chosen to be a part of a very special generation. Help me find my role, get in my place, and do all I can to help advance the Gospel and its message before the age ends and Jesus returns. And especially help me to reach my family, friends, acquaintances, and coworkers with the message that the Cross has the power to save them, forgive them, and transform their lives!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY


I confess that I am blessed to be a part of the wrap-up of the age before the return of Jesus Christ. It is no accident that I am alive at this time. God made me for such a time as this — and I will step into my place, fulfill my role, and do all I can to shine the light of the Gospel to those who are sitting in darkness. God will use me to remove the blinders that are on the eyes of unbelievers and bring them into the Kingdom of His dear Son!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

  1. What signs do you see that make you think we are living in the very closing days of the last days? Can you make a list and back it up with scriptural references?
  2. If you don’t think we’re living in the last part of the last days, how have you come to that conclusion?
  3. If you believe we are living at the very end of the age, as many believe, what specific actions do you need to take to tell others about the saving message of Jesus? Has the Lord put certain unsaved people on your heart as your personal assignment to faithfully lift up in prayer until they come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Who are those individuals?