The Devil’s Destination

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
— Ephesians 6:11

What I am about to tell you is so simple — yet it is also life-changing and revolutionary. I want to help you understand how the devil tries to work in the realm of the mind and emotions. If you grab hold of these truths, they can set you free from the devil’s lies forever!

In Ephesians 6:11, Paul explicitly tells us how the devil operates. He writes, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” I want you to especially pay attention to the phrase “the wiles of the devil.”

The word “wiles” is taken from the word methodos. It is a compound of the words meta and odos. The word meta is a preposition that means with. The word odos is the word for a road. When the words meta and odos are compounded into one word, as in Ephesians 6:11, it literally means with a road. You’ve probably already figured out that the word methodos is where we get the word “method.” Some translations actually translate the word methodos as the word “method,” but the word “method” is not strong enough to convey the full meaning of the Greek word methodos.

Let me make the meaning of this word real simple for you. As I said, the most literal meaning of the word “wiles” (methodos) is with a road. I realize this seems strange, but when you connect this to the devil as Paul does in Ephesians 6:11, it means that the devil is like a traveler who travels on a road. He is headed in one direction and has one destination.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. If you’re going to take a trip, the logical thing for you to do is get a map and chart your journey to your destination. You don’t take just any road; rather, you strategize to find the best and fastest way to get where you’re going. Right? It would be pretty foolish for you to jump in the car and take off with no sense of direction. Taking any road could lead you in a multitude of wrong directions. It’s just better to use a map and stay on track. Correct?

This is precisely the idea of the word methodos. The devil isn’t wasting any time. He knows where he wants to go. He has chosen his destination. Rather than mess around on a bunch of different routes, he has mastered the best way to get where he wants to go. He is not a mindless traveler. And when he arrives at his place of destination, he has one main goal he wants to accomplish: He wants to wreak havoc and bring destruction. Therefore, we must ask: “Where is the devil traveling, and what does he want to do once he gets there?”

Paul answers the question about Satan’s destination in Second Corinthians 2:11 when he says, “…we are not ignorant of his [Satan’s] devices.” Pay careful attention to the word “devices” in this verse. It is the Greek word noemata, a form of the word nous. The Greek word nous describes the mind or the intellect. Thus, in one sense Paul is saying, “…we are not ignorant of the way Satan schemes and thinks.”

But the word noemata also denotes Satan’s insidious plot to fill the human mind with confusion. There is no doubt that the mind is the arena where Satan feels most comfortable. He knows if he can access a person’s mind and emotions, he will very likely be able to ensnare that individual in a trap. One writer says that the word noemata not only depicts Satan’s scheming mind but also his crafty, subtle way of attacking and victimizing others’ minds.

I personally like this because it identifies the primary destination of the devil — to get into a person’s mind and fill it with lying emotions, false perceptions, and confusion. It was for this reason that Paul urged us, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor­inthians 10:5).

The words “bringing into captivity” are from the Greek word aichmalotidzo, which pictured a soldier who has captured an enemy and now leads him into captivity with the point of a sharpened spear thrust into the flesh in his back. The captured enemy knows that if he tries to move or get away, the Roman soldier will shove that spear clear through his torso and kill him. Therefore, this captive doesn’t dare move but remains silent, submissive, and non-resistant.

However, when Paul uses the word aichmalotidzo in this verse, he writes in a tense that describes the continuous action of taking such an enemy captive. This is not a one-time affair; it is the lifelong occupation of this soldier. He constantly has a spear in his hand, and he is always pushing it against the flesh of an enemy’s backside as he leads him away to permanent captivity.

Because the devil loves to make a playground out of your mind and emotions, you must deal with him like a real enemy. Rather than fall victim to the devil’s attacks, you must make a mental decision to seize every thought he tries to use to penetrate your mind and emotions. Rather than let those thoughts take you captive, you have to reach up and grab them and force them into submission! You must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ!

But if you’re going to beat the devil at his game, you have to put all your energy into taking every thought captive. If you’re not really committed to seizing every thought the devil tries to inject into your mind and emotions, he’ll strike you again! So once you make the decision to do it, stick with it. It’s time for you to take charge of your thoughts and drive his lying insinuations right out of your brain!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I don’t want the devil to fill my mind with insinuations and lies. My mind belongs to You, and the devil has no right to flood me with false perceptions, vain imaginations, or lies about who I am or what I will never be. I refuse to let him operate in me any longer! You have provided me with the helmet of salvation, and by faith I put it on to protect my mind against the devil’s assaults. He can strike as hard as he wishes, but Your Spirit and Word protect me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I bring every thought into the captivity of Christ! When the devil tries to invade my mind with lies, I capture those lies and drive them clear out of my brain! Rather than fall victim to the devil’s attacks, I seize every thought that he tries to use to penetrate my mind and emotions. I grab each lie and force it into submission! Because I stand firm on the Word, the enemy’s lies are not able to exert any power against me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of one area in your mind where Satan repeatedly tries to attack you? What is that area, and how long has he been attacking you in this area of your thought life? Has it gone on for a day, a week, a month, a year, or for many years?

2. When you feel heavily assaulted in your mind and emotions and you need someone to pray with you, is there someone you know you can go to for prayer and support? If so, who is that person? If not, don’t you think it would encourage you to find a friend to whom you could talk and who could help you resist the lies of the devil?

3. What is the most successful tactic you’ve learned to shut the devil up when he’s trying to roar loudly inside your head?

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
— Hebrews 1:14

October 3, 1993. It was our wedding anniversary, and Denise and I were in Murmansk, Russia, located just north of the Arctic Circle. We had been ministering there in one of the largest churches in Russia at the time. After several days of wonderful meetings, we concluded the last evening service and returned to the apartment where we were staying. Our plan was to begin preparing for our trip home early the next morning. As we packed, we decided to turn on the television to see the late-night news.

We sat nearly frozen in disbelief as we learned that there had been a major coup in the city of Moscow! The image of the Russian Vice President appeared on the TV screen before us. Looking disheveled, this man morbidly glared into the TV camera and stated that a coup had begun in Moscow and that Russia’s newly gained democracy was about to be lost. We were stunned when we heard him “beckon” people to go into the streets to fight using whatever they could find from their homes as weapons to oppose the pro-Communist faction — especially in the area near Red Square — that was trying to seize control.

While we had been busy ministering in Murmansk, a major conflict had erupted in Moscow. There was a clash between then President Boris Yeltsin and a pro-Communist political faction that had violently seized control of the Russian White House and had barricaded themselves inside it, refusing to come out.

The Russian White House is situated in front of the massive Novoarbatsky Bridge along the banks of the Moscow River. I found it so interesting that the entire day while we had been busy with church activities in another city, Boris Yeltsin had been busy ordering army tanks to line up on that bridge, point their cannons directly at the Russian White House, and shoot to drive those occupants out of the building! By the end of the day, those tanks had blown the top half of the structure nearly completely off. Although democratic forces shelled the White House with one bomb after another, the rebels refused to surrender their position.

It was late at night, and Denise and I sat in front of the TV dumbfounded and perplexed about what we should do. The mayhem in Moscow was spreading to other locations, and we didn’t know what Moscow airports would be like the following morning. Moscow was our only connection to Riga, Latvia, where we lived at the time. We didn’t know if flights would be canceled — or even if there would be potential attacks at the airport. And God only knew what might develop in the nighttime as we slept!

We arose early the following morning, took a car to the airport, and went inside to see if we could make our flight to Moscow en route to Riga. When the time came for passengers to board the plane, Denise and I were the only two passengers they allowed to embark. Everyone else with tickets for that flight was denied access to the plane!

The airline attendants seated us in First Class on the very front row of the plane. Denise and I were somewhat amused and discussed quietly that it looked like we had the whole plane to ourselves. That’s exactly what we thought as that large Russian aircraft took off from that runway and began to ascend — that we were the only two passengers aboard the flight.

To this day, we still don’t know why we were the only two passengers allowed to board that flight, but that is exactly what happened. We speculated that perhaps the person in charge knew us from our nationwide television program — or that we had received special treatment because of our American passports. All we could do was guess. But for the duration of that flight from Murmansk to Moscow, Denise and I sat alone on what looked to be an empty aircraft, musing over our strange situation.

That entire, very large commercial airliner was completely empty — except for us and the flight crew! At least that’s what we thought until it was time to disembark. When we arose from our seats to leave, the flight attendant abruptly pulled back the curtain that concealed the whole back half of the airplane. To our utter amazement and shock, there stood in front of us 85 Black Berets, Russia’s highest-trained land-combat soldiers!

What a scene that was! It looked like 85 “Rambos” standing there, with machine guns hanging off their shoulders, handguns strapped to their waists, strips of hundreds of rounds of ammo draped around their necks, giant knives fastened to their boots — and their faces completely smeared with greasy black “war paint”!

Denise and I stood there, nearly paralyzed, for what seemed like minutes. As much speculating as we had entertained about why we were alone on that flight, the thought never crossed our minds that we were not alone — and that we had flown all that distance to Moscow with 85 trained killers!

Sitting in the car that transported us from the plane to our terminal, we watched spellbound as those soldiers quickly disembarked that plane in unison and boarded jumbo helicopters that we later learned were assigned to fly them to the Russian White House. By the time we entered the terminal and made our way through passport control, we saw on TV monitors those same 85 soldiers being lowered by ropes onto what was left of the roof of the White House!

We later discovered that those killer troops were ordered to retake the Russian White House, arresting rebels who surrendered and shooting those who didn’t. By the end of that standoff, 124 rebel soldiers had been killed and 348 had been wounded by those Black Beret soldiers — soldiers with whom Denise and I had unknowingly flown on a plane!

At times in life, we’ve likely all been oblivious to what’s happening around us. Had Denise and I known we were flying with 85 trained killers that day, we would have experienced some apprehension about getting on that flight. But we thought we were the only two people on board. We actually enjoyed the experience, laughing and talking during the entire flight to Moscow. We only realized 85 “Rambos” were riding with us when it was time to disembark. By that time, it was too late to worry because we had already arrived safely at the airport in Moscow!

As Denise and I watched the monitors from inside the airport terminal and saw those soldiers being lowered into the remains of the White House, we hardly spoke a word. We were stunned that we had been that close to those armed and trained killers and yet completely unaware of it. As we awaited our next flight, we each sat quietly, pondering the events that had just taken place. It wasn’t until we were securely on board our flight to Riga that we finally began to talk again. Excitedly, we began talking about the situations we all find ourselves in at times, that we don’t fully comprehend until later. And we particularly talked about the ministry of angels — that just as those Russian killer soldiers had been dispatched to restore order and peace, God sends His angels on “covert missions” to oversee and protect us in times of danger and uncertainty.

Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are they not all [angels] ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” You and I are the heirs of salvation, so this means that angels are sent forth to minister to you and me. But what exactly does the phrase “sent forth to minister for them” mean?

Notice the verse includes the word “minister” in some form twice. It says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” In both cases, the words “ministering” and “minister” are a translation of the Greek word diakonos, which depicts high-level, top-notch service of various kinds. As we look at the ministry of angels in the New Testament, we find that angels provided especially high-level, top-notch service to the saints when they experienced various types of need.

The following is a condensed list of activities that angels perform. Please keep in mind that this Sparkling Gem is about God’s care over us when we are oblivious to things that are happening around us. In such moments, angels step in to provide certain kinds of high-level, top-notch service for us — including the list of angelic assignments that follow in this teaching. Of course, angels also have other roles, but for the purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the role of angels to minister to believers — heirs of salvation.

Angels Meet Physical Needs

Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13 tell us that when Jesus concluded His 40-day fast in the wilderness, angels appeared to Him and ministered to Him, thereby meeting Jesus’ physical needs after that 40 days of fasting and being tempted by the devil. In both of these verses, the word “ministered” is a translation of the Greek word diakonos. Wherever this word is used in the New Testament, it pictures a servant whose chief occupation is to meet some kind of physical or tangible need.

Angels Give Strength

The Bible provides many examples of angels strengthening the weary, but the best New Testament example is found in Luke 22:43, where an angel strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during the most difficult time of His earthly life. It says, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” This word comes from the Greek word enischuo, a compound of the words en and ischuos. The word en means in, and the word ischuos is the Greek word for might or strength. When these two words are compounded, the new word means to impart strength; to empower someone; to fill a person with physical vigor; or to give someone renewed vitality. In other words, a person may have been feeling exhausted and depleted, but suddenly he receives a robust blast of energy that instantly recharges him.

This means that when Jesus’ disciples and friends couldn’t be depended on in His hour of need, God provided an angel who empowered, recharged, and imparted strength to Jesus, thus renewing His vitality so He could victoriously face the most difficult hour of His life. Thus, Luke 22:43 provides a vivid New Testament example of how angels strengthen the weary.

Angels Can Give Supernatural Guidance

Examples of how angels provide supernatural guidance are abundant in the New Testament. Matthew 2:13 says an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to quickly take Mary and the young Christ Child into Egypt because Herod would seek to kill Jesus. Later when Herod died, an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, informing him that Herod was dead and that he and his family could return to Israel (Matthew 2:19-23). In both of those instances, the supernatural angelic guidance occurred in dreams.

In Acts 10:3, we find an example of angelic guidance that also changed the course of history. An angel appeared in a vision to an Italian centurion named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea.

Although Cornelius was unsaved at that moment, God heard this man’s prayers and intervened on his behalf by providing angelic guidance. The angel who appeared to Cornelius instructed him to send his servants to Joppa to summon Peter and his companions to come to him. When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ residence, the apostle preached the Gospel to those who were present. All who heard Peter repented and were filled with the Holy Spirit. At that historic moment, the door to salvation was opened to the Gentiles, and the Gospel message began to go forth into the Gentile world.

Angels Provide Protection and Deliverance

The Old and New Testaments are filled with evidence that God assigns angels to guard and protect His people. For instance, Psalm 34:7 says that angels encamp around those who fear the Lord to deliver them. Psalm 91:11 promises that God will give His angels charge over His people to keep them in all their ways. We see a New Testament example of how angels guard and protect God’s people in Acts 5:17-20. In this account, the high priest rose up against the apostles and had them arrested and thrown into prison. Verses 19 and 20 say, “But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

A few chapters later in Acts 12, we find the story of Peter being arrested and thrown into prison. After Herod ordered the beheading of James (see Acts 12:1,2), he saw that many Jews approved of his action. Therefore, in order to garner more support and popularity with the angry mob of Christian-haters, Herod gave the order for the apostle Peter to be arrested next. The authorities may have recalled the previous time when a group of apostles miraculously escaped from prison because this time Peter was delivered to “four quaternions of soldiers” (Acts 12:4).

A “quaternion” refers to a group of four Roman soldiers. So four quaternions — or four different groups containing four soldiers each — successively took turns guarding Peter throughout the night. Verse 6 tells us that Peter was sleeping between two guards in that prison while two other guards stood watch at the prison door. Suddenly the angel of the Lord came into the prison cell and awoke Peter from his sleep, telling him to rise up quickly and leave the prison. Instantly, the chains that held Peter were loosened and fell to the ground.

Not only did the angel of the Lord set Peter free from the chains that held him, but it seems the angel also temporarily blinded the guards so they were unaware of what was happening. Peter followed the angel through the first and second ward until he came to an iron gate, which supernaturally opened in front of him without anyone touching it. An angel delivered the apostle from the horrible destiny that had awaited him at the hands of Herod.

Angels Perform Superhuman Feats

Perhaps the best New Testament example of angels performing superhuman feats is when the angels rolled away the massive stone that lay before Jesus’ garden tomb. Matthew 28:2 says, “…the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” The word “stone” is the Greek word lithos, which simply means a stone. It is known, however, that the stones placed in front of such tombs were immense in their dimensions — impossible for a human being to move without the assistance of several people.

Another remarkable example of an angel’s superhuman strength is recorded in Revelation 20:1-3, where John writes: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, And set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

At the appointed time, an unnamed angel will seize Satan, bind him with a great chain, shut him in the bottomless pit, and seal it so he can’t escape. No natural human being would ever be able to perform such a feat, but this passage of Scripture clearly states that a day is coming when an angel will single-handedly accomplish this task — scriptural proof of the great power heavenly angels possess.

And to think — such “ministering spirits” are dispatched to “minister” to those who will inherit salvation. That’s you and me! God has specifically sent angels forth to meet our physical needs, to give us strength, to supernaturally guide us at times, to provide us with protection and deliverance, and to perform superhuman feats on our behalf.

Flying from Murmansk to Moscow with 85 hidden trained killers — while Denise and I were completely oblivious to that fact — reminds me that wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, we have a group of “ministering spirits” that are assigned to watch over us and care for us. In fact, looking back on that incident, I realize that a “special-forces unit” of angels is always assigned to Denise and me! And these trained spiritual combatants pose a far more formidable threat to unseen devilish forces than the threat those 85 trained soldiers posed to rebels occupying the Russian White House that day!

If you look back over your own life, I’m sure it won’t be difficult to recall moments when you experienced angelic assistance to help you overcome in the midst of what you were enduring. You may not have seen those ministering spirits with your physical eyes or even felt their presence, but it is certain they were there, for that is God’s promise to you and to me in Hebrews 1:14!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I want to thank You for the many times You have given Your angels charge of me to protect, provide for, and guide me when I was confronted with difficulties or was completely unaware of the situations I had unknowingly wandered into or of the danger that surrounded me. I am reminded of how Your ministering spirits have met my needs; brought me help; strengthened me when I was exhausted both physically and emotionally; and kept me safe in the midst of circumstances that could have produced certain harm or even taken my life. Time after time, You’ve held me safe through the watchful care of Your ministering angels. Lord, I love You. You have shown me great mercy, and each day I find new reasons to praise and glorify You as a faithful Keeper of covenant in my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that time after time, in ways I seldom realize, God dispatches angels to assist me. These ministering spirits surround me and keep me safe, and they never fail to step in to deliver me even when I don’t know that I am in harm’s way. Whatever my situation, and regardless of the need, angels are assigned to protect, provide, strengthen, and guide me in all my ways of obedience to the Lord.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever been in a situation in which you were oblivious to what was happening around you, but you later discovered that God had dispatched an angel or angels to protect you in some way?
2. Can you recall a specific experience of God’s miraculous, delivering power in your life? When was it, and what happened? How did you respond?
3. When you consider that experience, what does it reveal to you about the tenderness of God to watch over you and protect you? Have you ever told anyone about that moment of divine protection?

Truthfully Assessing Your Situation

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 3:13,14

Every once in a while, my wife and I take time to seriously and thoughtfully review what we are accomplishing and what we are not accomplishing in our lives and our ministry. We do our best to be very honest with ourselves and each other about these questions.

Taking this kind of look at ourselves and our work is not always pleasant. Sometimes we find areas of glaring failure or areas where we know the Lord expected more of us. But in order for us to see the truth about our lives the way God sees it, He requires us to lay down our pride and be honest with ourselves. In the end, we’re always glad we did the review because it helps us repent for the times we failed, rejoice over what God helped us to accomplish, and make sure we’re on the right course where we will be the most focused and effective.

When other people say, “Wow, you accomplish so much!” we are always glad that they can see fruit in our lives. However, the most important question to us is not what other people think, but what the Lord thinks of us and our accomplishments. Maybe it’s true that we accomplished a lot compared to what others have done. But how we compare to other people and ministries is not the measuring stick we are to use to determine how we are doing.

In Second Corinthians 10:12 (AMP), the apostle Paul wrote that when people “…measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they…behave unwisely.” This means our measuring stick should never be how we measure up to other human beings. Compared to them, we may have done well, but the real issue is how we “measure up” to the goals the Lord gave us. When we stand before Jesus, He isn’t going to judge us by how we did in comparison to others. He will judge us for how we did with the assignments He gave us to do.

Therefore, you should ask yourself on a regular basis:

• Am I accomplishing the goals the Lord has given me?
• Can I stand before Him with a heart free of condemnation, knowing that I gave my very best effort, work, and faith to achieve His will?
• What, if any, changes do I need to make in my life, schedule, commitment, and financial resources to do what the Lord has told me to do?

Learning to be honest about ourselves, our work, our successes, and our failures is vitally important. We learn from our past mistakes. We ask the Lord to forgive us for our failures. Then we turn our eyes to the present — and we begin to make the necessary corrections in order to start doing better!

When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he had a lot of time to think, so he sat in that prison and reflected on his life and achievements. He thought about what he had done, what he hadn’t done, and what he still needed to do. I’m sure that, like all of us, Paul was tempted to look at his life in comparison to others. And compared to others, he had done a great deal!

• He had preached all around the Mediterranean Sea.
• He had preached in the imperial palace.
• He had started churches all over Asia Minor.
• He had written most of the New Testament.
• He was one of the greatest apostles of his generation.

Paul could have rightfully told himself, I’ve done more than most men will ever dream of doing! I’ve done more than anyone else I know! But rather than revel in his own accomplishments, Paul used that time in prison to truthfully assess his life. Then he wrote these famous words: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

Notice that Paul said, “I count not myself to have apprehended….”  The words “count not” give us insight into the way Paul looked at his life. Paul borrowed these words from the bookkeeping profession. It is the Greek word logidzomai, which originally meant to mathematically count, calculate, or tabulate or to make a conclusion. This word was primarily used in the bookkeeping world to portray the idea of a balance sheet or a profit-and-loss statement that a bookkeeper prepared at the end of the month or year.

You might “think” your business is doing quite well, but when the bookkeeper adds up all the numbers and hands you the profit-and-loss statement to read, that’s the moment you find out how well your business is really doing. You don’t have to guess anymore about your situation, because “the numbers” tell the real story.

Why did Paul use this word as he wrote verse 13? It is obvious that Paul had been seriously reviewing his life. Rather than “guess” about how well he had done, Paul carefully reviewed the original goals God had given him. It is almost as if Paul had written God’s plan for his life on one side of the page and what he had actually accomplished on the other side of the page. After looking at the original goal and truthfully assessing how much of that goal he had accomplished, he wrote, “I count not myself to have apprehended….”

Although Paul had accomplished a great deal in his ministry, he knew he hadn’t done everything he was supposed to do. That is one reason he knew it was not time for him to die. His prison situation was dreadful, and the legal prognosis didn’t look good. But Paul knew it wasn’t time for him to leave yet because he still had so much work to do. (He referred to this work in Philippians 1:22-26.)

I’m sure Paul was thankful for everything he had seen and all that God had already accomplished through him. This is why Paul went on to say, “…but this one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13). But I want you to stop and think about what Paul was choosing to forget and put behind him!

Some say Paul was forgetting his past life of sin, but he had put that behind him long ago. Now he was putting his past successes and accomplishments behind him. Do you know why he had to do this? Because stopping at past victories is what keeps most people from moving into future victories. They become so fixated on what they have done that they lose sight of what they need to do — and that keeps them from moving forward to possess new territory in God’s plan for their lives!

Think of it like this: Many big corporations lost the cutting edge they once held because they spent most of their energy gloating about how big and how good they were. While they were gloating, some smaller company with dedicated people and a huge vision snuck up from behind and surpassed that larger corporation! Before the larger company knew what was happening, they had lost the leading edge they once held and were no longer the leader. They had spent so much time focusing on the past that someone else passed them by!

Paul knew he had done more than most men, and it was all right for him to cherish those memories. But dwelling on his past accomplishments wasn’t going to get him out of jail or back in the swing of what he needed to be doing. There were still huge parts of his vision that were unfinished. Even though the past had been great and he was thankful to God for every victory he had experienced, it was now time for him to begin reaching forth unto those things which were before him (Philippians 3:13).

You need to rejoice over all that God has already done in your life; however, you must still focus on what you haven’t seen yet! Thinking of the past victories will encourage and remind you of God’s faithfulness, but eventually you have to leave the past behind and turn your eyes to the present and the future. You can’t go forward while constantly looking backward.

• Yesterday’s victories were for yesterday.
• Yesterday’s good reports were for yesterday.
• Yesterday’s accomplishments were for yesterday.

Your future is important, so treat it that way. Look at your life, and seriously appraise your status. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart, and be willing to accept what He says to you. Thank God for every victory, but keep your eyes fixed on the future so you can keep marching forward to fulfill every detail of the vision God has put into your heart!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so very thankful to You for all the progress I’ve already seen in my life. But today I am turning my eyes to the future because I know You have so much for me to do. I don’t want to miss anything You have designed for me, so I am choosing to turn my attention to the vision and to run my race with all my might! Help me remove anything that would hinder my race so I can press forward toward the prize of the high calling of God for my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly confess that I am focused, concentrated, and determined to run my race! God has called me and anointed me; therefore, I can do exactly what He has asked me to do. I have no excuse for failure or any reason to slow down or quit, for God’s Spirit in me is ready to empower me to run this race all the way to the finish. Doing it halfway will never do, so I am committed to seeing this all the way through!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. How long has it been since you assessed your situation to determine the progress you are making in your life, church, or business? How frequently do you take time to review your situation so you can gauge your progress?

2. Are you stuck in a rut, or are you still moving forward with the same speed and the same passion that once possessed you? Does the vision still burn in your heart?

3. What alterations do you need to make in your church, business, organization, or ministry in order to get back on track and to start moving forward again?

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
— Galatians 6:9

I’ve told you before, but today I sense a leading to tell you again — you must stay steady and on track with the assignment the Lord has given to you! Believe me, I know what it’s like to get tired of staying steady and holding the course. But those moments when you’re tired and tempted to quit are the exact times when you need to grab hold of the power of God and determine that you are not going to stray from your course until you’ve finished what God asked you to do!

In moments when weariness tries to get the best of me, I meditate on Galatians 6:9, which says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The word “weary” in Galatians 6:9 is the Greek word egkakos — a compound of en, which means in, and kakos, which describes something evil. Here it actually depicts a person who is tempted to throw in the towel and quit, thus surrendering to evil. In this verse, God commands you and me not to surrender to any temptation to give up. He promises that in “due season,” a harvest will be reaped if we won’t quit — the manifestation of what each of us is believing for will come if we will not cave in and give up.

Notice that God says the manifestation comes in “due season.” This tells us that each seed has its own set season — a specific, individual time when the seed will produce its harvest. Even if multiple seeds of various kinds are planted at one time, each has its own season to be reaped, depending on the seed. One seed produces in one set season, and another seed is reaped in a different set season. But no matter what season our seed is to be reaped in, God promises that if we are consistent — if we steadfastly keep sowing our seed into the ground and refuse to let weariness take us down — a time will come when “we shall reap.”

The words “we shall reap” describe a future, fixed event. So if a seed has been sown, a harvest is guaranteed to happen — if we stay on course. This is why Paul continued, saying, “…if we faint not.” The word “faint” is a Greek word that pictures a person who has become so weary that he gives up and forfeits what he’d been waiting so long for and what he was so close to reaping. Pressures applied against such a person caused him to become tired and weary. As a result, his grip slackened, and the thing he’d held on to and hoped for slipped from his hands. The result was loss. In the case of Galatians 6:9, he lost a harvest.

The most common thing that causes one to loosen his grip is weariness. That’s why Paul urges you not to throw in the towel in times of spiritual, physical, or mental exhaustion. It’s exciting to plant seeds of faith, and it’s really exciting when harvest comes. But in order to reach that point of reaping, you must hold on tight to what God has told you and remember that your seed has a set season when it will produce if you don’t disrupt the process.

Often people are tempted to quit believing because they get tired. Maybe you have felt this very same temptation. But God promises you in Galatians 6:9 that if you will remain steadfast, your time of waiting will eventually produce a harvest — the manifestation of what you’ve been waiting for and believing to see.

We’re all believing for something and sowing seeds toward it. I don’t know what you’re trusting God for in this season of your life. Perhaps no one knows but you because you’ve kept it between you and the Lord. Maybe it’s a financial harvest, a breakthrough in a relationship, or a healing or restoration in some area. Maybe this harvest is taking longer than you’d anticipated or expected. But I want to reassure you that God’s Word and His promises are absolutely true — and if you will just refuse to give up and quit, it’s only a matter of time until your long-awaited blessing arrives!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I have been sowing seeds and waiting for my harvest for quite some time. It is true that I have been tempted to become tired and weary of waiting. So today I thank You because You said those who wait upon You shall renew their strength! I thank You for renewing and replenishing me as I patiently wait for my harvest. Your Word promises that it will come in due season. Holy Spirit, strengthen me with Your mighty power to stay the course until my due season arrives. I receive fresh grace to remain steady and on track with the project that You have assigned to me to complete! In those moments when I’m tempted to be tired and quit, help me remember that I can grab hold of Your power and not stray from my God-assigned purpose!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I refuse to give up in times of spiritual, physical, or mental exhaustion. I will reach that point of fulfillment when I reap because I will hold tightly to what God has told me. God promised me in Galatians 6:9 that if I will remain steadfast, the manifestation of what I’ve been waiting for and believing to happen will come. On the basis of this promise, I REFUSE TO GIVE UP AND QUIT. I declare by faith that it’s only a matter of time until my long-awaited blessing arrives. Instead of caving in to weariness and the temptation to quit, I will lift up my hands in thanksgiving. I make the choice to praise God with a grateful heart as I keep thanking God for the harvest He has in store for me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What harvest have you been sowing seeds toward? What exactly is the harvest that you are waiting for right now? How long have you been waiting?
2. Have you ever considered that you could be right on the edge of receiving what God has prepared for you, and that is why the devil has geared up his attack against you? Could it be that the devil is trying to push you to the edge of quitting because he knows you’re about to receive that long-awaited blessing?
3. Do you know anyone who waited a long time for their “due season” before it finally came? Can you think of a Bible character who waited a long time for his or her dream to come to pass, but it eventually happened, even against all odds?

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna….
— Revelation 2:17

In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, we saw that Jesus expects us to overcome. And this “overcoming” is not just a one-time event. He has given us the power and the authority to consistently maintain victory in the areas where we have experienced victory through His grace.

To those of us who are currently in the process of overcoming and who need sustenance to keep us strong in battle, Christ promised “manna” as nourishment to continually strengthen us. In Revelation 2:17, He said, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna….” Let’s look at this “manna” to understand exactly what Christ promised us and how much of that divine supply He is willing to provide to keep us strong along the way as a reward for our obedience.

To understand manna, we must return to the Old Testament book of Exodus, where it is recorded that manna first appeared. Approximately two months after the Israelites left Egypt, their food stores began to run low and supplies were rationed. God told Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you…” (Exodus 16:4). The word “bread” in the Old Testament Greek Septuagint is the word man hu, or manna, an unusual word that had never been used before. It is a Greek word that describes a heavenly provision of supernatural sustenance like bread.

When that “manna” first appeared on the ground, no one knew what it was, how it originated, or how God provided it. Every time the Israelites took it in their hands and lifted it to their mouths, they were partaking of a divine phenomenon with no natural explanation. God graciously provided supernatural sustenance to sustain them in their time of need. Certainly they had other forms of food, but there was something so supernatural in this manna that it supplied what no natural food could provide. It was a supernatural substance that had the ability to meet whatever need was present.

These qualities also describe the supernatural sustenance God provides for us today. We don’t always know how He imparts His divine supply to us, but we are thankful when He does. With each touch of His hand on our spirits, bodies, and minds, we are strengthened, refilled, and replenished. It is supernatural provision! And God superabundantly supplies whatever we need. Our part is to draw near to His table, pull up a chair, and open our hearts to Him. As we do, God serves us a veritable feast of His power!

Let’s look again at the manna God so amply supplied to His people under the Old Covenant. Psalm 78:23-25 records that God “…opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat and…man did eat angels’ food….” The psalmist told us several important truths about this supernatural provision:

• The doors of Heaven were opened (v. 23).
• When the doors were opened, manna rained upon them (v. 24).
• Manna was the food of angels (v. 25).

First, the psalmist wrote that when the manna fell, the “doors of heaven” were opened. This phrase “doors of heaven” refers to a heavenly portal that opens at God’s command. The first mention of it in Scripture is in Genesis 7:11, where the Bible says that “…the windows of heaven were opened” and rain started falling. That phrase “windows of heaven” is a reference to the same portal referred to as the “doors of heaven” in Psalm 78:23. In fact, so much rain fell through this portal over the course of 40 days and nights that Genesis 7:19 records, “And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.”

Second, the psalmist recorded in Psalm 78:24 that when this manna began falling, it “rained down.” This shows that when Heaven’s portal opens, whatever comes through does so in superabundant measures.

Let me refer to rabbinical literature for a moment. That literature asserts that manna fell in the wilderness each day in such abundance that one day’s supply of manna would have been enough to feed the children of Israel for 2,000 years!

However, despite this overabundance, God forbade the Israelites to take more than one day’s supply per person except in the case of the Sabbath, in which case they were allowed to collect two days at once in order to avoid breaking the Sabbath laws. Each person was limited to an omer, or approximately six to seven pints, which was gathered each morning. If anyone gathered more than what God prescribed, the extra became filled with maggots.

This was doubtlessly a great test of obedience for many people since the human tendency would have been to hoard manna just in case it didn’t fall again. However, hoarding manna would have caused the Israelites to trust in their supply rather than trust in the God who supplies. By gathering only a single day’s ration, it meant that they had to trust God anew for His faithful provision each day.

It is impossible to know exactly how much manna came pouring through that portal during those 40 years, but one can make a rough estimate. If the Israelites numbered approximately 3,000,000 people, as many Bible scholars believe, it is estimated that they needed 4,500 tons of manna every day. If they gathered 4,500 tons a day every day for 40 years, that means an estimated 65,700,000 tons of manna supernaturally appeared on the ground over that period of time.

However, for the children of Israel, this miracle was an everyday event that occurred for 40 years. In fact, an entire generation of young children was born during that time period who grew up thinking it was normal for 4,500 tons of manna to appear each morning out of thin air (see Exodus 16:35)!

God instructed the children of Israel not to hoard manna, but rather to trust Him to provide them with the sustenance they needed each day. The manna that rained daily in the desert was an ever-present reminder that God was faithful and would not lead them on a path that lacked His provision.

Likewise, we need to trust that God will touch us every day with the power and substance we need to be strong overcomers! He simply needs our availability. He is willing to give, but He needs hungry takers!

We read from Psalm 78 that, first, the “doors of heaven” were opened when all that manna fell. Then, second, the psalmist says the manna “rained down.” When Heaven’s portal opens, whatever falls through it does so superabundantly.

Third, the psalmist recorded that manna was “angels’ food” (see v. 25), which explains the extraordinary effect it had upon those who ate it. Theologian Albert Barnes noted that manna was “…food so directly and manifestly from heaven that it might be supposed to be the same kind that was eaten there, and that had now been sent down by a special miracle for man; food so delicate and so free from the ordinary coarse properties of food, that it might be supposed to be such as angels feed on.”¹

In order for us to do what God asks us to do, we must regularly eat of His table and receive of His grace. He provided manna to sustain His people in the wilderness. In the same way, Jesus promises divine sustenance to believers who overcome. Jesus’ offer of “manna” in Revelation 2:17 to those who overcome was a declaration to believers throughout the ages that He provides nourishment in times of need and that at His table, the food never runs out.

There is a divine supply of provision for us — a supernatural, heavenly touch — that will replenish and strengthen us, enabling us to overcome the most difficult circumstances. But we must continually draw near to His table and eat the heavenly “bread” He has set before us.

Jesus promises to provide spiritual provision and replenishment to every one of us who will come to His table with faith to receive. He is sufficient to provide the spiritual refreshment and nutrients needed to strengthen us through tough times to accomplish our assignment. God’s grace is available to us, just as daily manna had been available to the children of Israel during their trek across the desert. If they will but come to His table, Christ will provide everything they need.

When Christ offered “manna” to these believers, He was not referring to a mere one-time taste of heavenly power. Rather, He was offering them a consistent supply of spiritual nourishment that would enable them to forge ahead, regardless of the opposition. And no matter what they faced, that supernatural sustenance would empower them to outlast the challenges that surrounded them.

Just as manna was provided to sustain God’s people in the wilderness, He has divine provision for you today and every day! If you will draw near to His table and eat the heavenly bread He has set before you, Christ will personally provide the manna you need — a divine touch — to strengthen and replenish your spirit so you can finish your race and complete your divine assignment. He will provide the manna you need to stay strong for the journey!

Are you ready to pull up your chair to God’s table and let Him set a feast of heavenly bread before you that will fill you with a fresh supply of His awesome power? God is willing to give you this divine sustenance every single day, but you must be willing to proactively come to His table to take part in this strengthening supply!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I am thrilled to know that You are so concerned about my well-being. How can I do anything but praise and thank You? You have demonstrated that You care so much for me that You would provide me with the daily bread I need to keep my life strong. Today I make the decision to draw near to Your table and to eat of the heavenly bread that You have set before me — bread that never runs out! Your supernatural strength is my sustenance. I partake of Your presence as my necessary food. You have called me to overcome, and Your sustaining touch keeps me strong in the battle. I know that as You strengthen me with Your might, I will be continually replenished, sustained in times of difficulty, and enabled to move obstacles out of my way.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God provides the spiritual nourishment that I need to overcome the obstacles and difficulties that try to hinder me in life. Each day as I consciously walk with an awareness of God’s presence within me, I am replenished, strengthened, and enabled to conquer any foe that shows up along the way. God’s power touches me physically, spiritually, and emotionally and fills up those areas that have been depleted due to a long struggle. God’s grace is available to me every day just as daily manna was available to the children of Israel during their trek across the desert. The Lord spreads a table before me even in the presence of my enemies. When I come to His table, Christ provides everything I need. With God’s daily touch on my life, I am revived, refreshed, and ready to continue the fight until I can shout, “Amen! The victory has manifested because the battle was already won!”

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How does God regularly refill and replenish you to keep you strong for whatever fight you are engaging? Can you explain that replenishing process?
2. How often do you come to God’s table? Are you taking in this Bread of Heaven every day? How often do you read your Bible? If you ate natural food in the same quantities that you are eating spiritual food, what kind of physical condition would you be in? Would you be spiritually fit or malnourished? If you’re going to eat, you need to pull up a chair and get in a position to receive that heavenly food. The Word of God will give you the strength you need.
3. Do you have a daily Bible-reading plan to help you stay on track in your reading of God’s Word? If not, plans are widely available on the Internet, free of charge, or perhaps at your church bookstore. I encourage you to find a daily Bible-reading plan and let it help guide you in your consumption of God’s Word on a daily basis.

_{1 Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (Blackie & Son, London, 1884-85; Reprinted by Baker Books, 1996), Psalm 78:25.}

Make Up Your Mind To Live Fearlessly And Peacefully in These Last Days!

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
— 2 Thessalonians 2:2

In Second Thessalonians 2:2, the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers and warned them about events that would occur right before the coming of the Lord. He wanted to prepare them so these major world events wouldn’t take them off guard and throw them into a state of panic. Therefore, Paul told them, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:2).

Notice that Paul told the Thessalonian believers not to be “soon shaken.” The word “soon” is the Greek word tachus, which means quickly, suddenly, or hastily. The word “shaken” is the Greek word saleuo, which means to shake, to waver, to totter, or to be moved. The tense used in the Greek points to events so dramatic that they could result in shock or alarm. In fact, the Greek tense strongly suggests a devastating occurrence or a sequence of devastating occurrences so dramatic that they will throw the world into a state of shock or distress.

By using the words “soon shaken,” Paul was urging his readers (and us!) to resist being easily shaken up by events that will occur just before the coming of Jesus. He was particularly careful to mention that we must not be “soon shaken in mind.” The Greek word for the “mind” is nous, which describes everything in the realm of the intellect, including one’s will, emotions, and ability to think, reason, and decide.

Whoever or whatever controls a person’s mind ultimately has the power to dictate the affairs and outcome of that person’s life. Thus, if a person allows his mind to be doused with panic or fear, he is putting fear in charge of his life. Because Paul wanted his readers to remain in peace regardless of the tumultuous events that transpired around them, he urged them not to allow fear from these shocking and distressful events to penetrate their minds, will, and emotions.

Then to make certain we comprehend the magnitude of these last-day events, Paul went on to say, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled….” The word “troubled” is the Greek word throeo, which indicates an inward fright that results from the shocking occurrence described above. The shock resulting from these nerve-racking events could be so severe that it could cause a person to be devoured with worry, anxiety, or fear.

Paul is confident these events will not be only a one-time occurrence; thus, he uses a Greek tense that points to an ongoing state of worry and inward anxiety resulting from these outward events that keep occurring again and again. It is as if he prophesies that there is no pause between these shocking, debilitating, and nerve-racking happenings. One scholar therefore translates the word “troubled” as being jumpy or nervous.

These words are so jammed-packed with meaning that it is almost impossible to directly translate them. To help you see exactly what Paul was communicating to his readers, I have translated and paraphrased the original Greek words, pulling the full meaning out of each word and then transferring those meanings into the interpretive translation below.

All the words Paul used in Second Thessalonians 2:2 convey this idea:

“Some things will be happening right before His coming that could shake you up quite a bit. I’m referring to events that will be so dramatic that they could really leave your head spinning — occurrences of such a serious nature that many people will end up feeling alarmed, panicked, intimidated, and even unnerved! Naturally speaking, these events could nearly drive you over the brink emotionally, putting your nerves on edge and making you feel apprehensive and insecure about life. I wish I could tell you these incidents were going to be just a one-shot deal, but when they finally get rolling, they’re going to keep coming and coming, one after another. That’s why you have to determine not to be shaken or moved by anything you see or hear. You need to get a grip on your mind and refuse to allow yourselves to be traumatized by these events. If you let these things get to you, it won’t be too long until you’re a nervous wreck! So decide beforehand that you are not going to give in and allow ‘fright’ to worm its way into your mind and emotions until it runs your whole life.”

Paul strongly urges us not to allow ourselves to be shaken or moved by anything we see or hear. He tells us that we must get a grip on our minds and refuse to allow ourselves to be traumatized by the events that occur in the world around us or to allow fear to control our whole lives. Instead of letting these things “get to us” and rob us of our joy, peace, and victory, we need to be deeply rooted in the confidence of God’s promises!

If you take a look at the world around us today, it is clear that Paul’s prophecy about the Last Days is unfolding before our very eyes. Because of the many different situations that our generation is facing, we must take a stand against fear and determine to stay in faith! But in order for us to stay in faith, it is imperative that we keep our minds focused on the Word of God.

Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts….” Verse 16 goes on to say, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly….” When the Word of God dwells richly in our lives, it produces peace — so much supernatural peace that it actually rules our hearts!

The word “rule” that is used in this verse is the Greek word brabeuo, which describes an umpire who calls all the shots and makes all the decisions. You see, when God’s Word is dwelling richly in your heart, suddenly the peace of God makes all the big decisions, calls all the shots, and umpires your emotions. Rather than being led by the ups and downs of the day or by what you read in the newspaper, you will be ruled by the wonderful peace of God!

But to receive this benefit of God’s Word, you must let it dwell in you richly. This word richly is the Greek word plousios, and it can be translated lavishly. This presents the picture of you giving the Word of God a wonderful reception as you roll out the red carpet so you can richly and lavishly welcome the Word into your heart. When you let God’s Word have this place of honor inside your heart, mind, and emotions, it releases its power to stabilize you and keep you in peace, even in the most difficult times.

There is no doubt that we are living in the very end of the Last Days. We are a chosen generation — and we will observe events that no other generation has ever seen.

If you are going to keep your heart fear-free so you can live in continual peace, you must make a firm commitment to let God’s Word rule in your heart! God’s Word will protect your mind and prohibit fear from worming its way into your emotions and turning you into an emotional mess. Is God’s Word the foundation of your life today?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so thankful that Your Word prepares us for every event that comes along in this life! I know I am living in the last days and that these challenging times require a higher level of commitment from me if I am going to live free from fear. This is such a critical moment for me to be strong, free, and secure. When I am strong, I can be a tower of strength to others who are drowning in the world around me. Help me be that source of strength and power to the people who surround me, Lord. I want to be all that I need to be in this hour.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God’s Word dominates my mind, my will, and my emotions! Because I have put God’s Word into my heart, I am not shaken or easily moved by the things that occur in the world around me. I know who I am; I am secure in my Father’s love; and I recognize that He destined me to live in these Last Days because He has a special plan for me. Regardless of what I see or hear, I take my stand on the promises of God’s Word, and it provides me with safety and security! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. In light of the world events that have occurred in recent years, how pertinent for you are Paul’s words in Second Thessalonians 2:2? Does it sound like Paul is writing about the nonstop traumatic events that have shaken the world over the past several years?

2. If it is true that we are living in the last days just before the coming of Jesus Christ, how should this affect the manner in which you are living your life?

3. Do you spend more time reading your Bible, reading the newspaper, or watching the news? Whatever you dwell on the most is what will dominate you, so isn’t it time that you make God’s Word the primary focus of your attention?

…To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna….
— Revelation 2:17

Right now you may feel that insurmountable odds are arrayed against you. However, let me assure you that you are not the first person to feel this way. If you stay in faith and refuse to budge, it’s only a matter of time until you will outlast the attacks of your enemy, the devil. This is God’s promise to you as a believer! Furthermore, if you are steadfastly committed to overcome, Christ promises special supernatural nourishment for the battle. That’s what I want to talk to you about today — supernatural nourishment for those who are overcomers!

This subject is so rich that it will take two Sparkling Gems for me to cover it fully, so stay with me today and tomorrow on this topic. Believe me, if you need strength in the midst of the fight of faith — whether it is spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional — God has supernatural nourishment that He will provide you. All He requires is that you draw near to His table to feed on the supernatural sustenance He longs to give you.

There is no better way for me to begin this subject than to go right to the words of Christ in Revelation 2:17. In that verse, Jesus addressed believers who were facing many obstacles that they needed to overcome — including unsaved relatives, friends, associates, and coworkers who didn’t understand their new faith and who antagonized them for being different. He was very aware of the extreme difficulties they were facing — just as He is aware of the challenges faced by every believer in every age, including your own. To each believer who stands fast in the faith and refuses to give up, Jesus promises, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna….”

Today I want us to look at what it means to “overcome.” The word “overcometh” comes from the Greek word nikao. It refers to a victor, a champion, or one who possesses some type of superiority, and it can be translated to conquer, to defeat, to master, to overcome, to overwhelm, to surpass, or to be victorious. This word was often used in Greek literature to portray athletes who had mastered their sport and ultimately reigned supreme as champions in the games. It could also describe a military victory of one foe against the other.

The word nikao denotes a complete victory over the opposition that Christians were facing on all fronts. By using this word, Jesus was calling upon those early believers to rise up like a mighty spiritual army to defeat the enemies that threatened them on every side.

Today Jesus is calling you to rise up like a mighty warrior as well! And He isn’t just calling you to do it — He provides the strength you need to do it phenomenally.

Winning the victory in a battle requires the greatest level of commitment and determination. This is true in natural war, and it is true in the spiritual realm. In order to receive an overcomer’s reward, the early believers whom Jesus addressed in Revelation 2:17 had to pay the price to overcome.

It is also important to note that the tense of the Greek word translated “overcometh” in this verse speaks of a continuous action. It isn’t acceptable to win a single battle but then lose the war because of a slack, unguarded attitude. Christ was calling on believers to continuously remain victorious. He was admonishing them, as He does each of His children up to the present day, to be permanently and consistently undeterred in their efforts to overcome and to obtain a lasting victory over sin in their lives.

Jesus still calls on us all to be overcomers. This is imperative for us to understand. It is to be our continual and unrelenting goal to maintain our victorious stance in every possible sphere of life as long as we are on this earth. And for us who are in the process of overcoming — when it seems that we’ve given all we have and that no more strength remains — Christ promises to nourish us with “manna.”

To understand the special significance of this imagery, it is necessary to recall what is known about manna from the Old Testament. That is what we will look at in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem. Today I want to ask you: What obstacles are you facing right now that Christ is urging you to overcome? Is it a personal challenge that no one knows about but the Lord? Is it a family matter, job problem, financial difficulty, health issue, or relational issue? Is it something you are fighting in your mind? Or are you in the process of overcoming a sin or habit that has encumbered your life for a long time?

Regardless of the obstacle that challenges you, turn to Jesus Christ! He overcame everything in life, and He understands every fight and foe you face. By His Spirit, He will empower you to stand strong until the fight is won. Not only that, He will give you the fortitude to maintain the victory once it has been achieved. He’s not interested in you merely winning a skirmish; He wants you to win the final victory and maintain that victory once it is achieved. And as you will see in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem, if you’ll make the decision to overcome, He’ll provide supernatural nourishment to keep you strong all along the way!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, You are calling me to live in overwhelming victory. Through You, I can be a conqueror who gains the mastery over all opposition. Forgive me for the times I focused more on the struggle opposing me than on the victory You have already won for me. I am a victor, not a victim. I realize that You want me to see myself as a victor, a champion, one who has completely defeated my enemies. You have made provision for me to continuously maintain that victory in my life through the Holy Spirit. I make an intentional decision to draw upon Your power in me. I’m willing and ready to jump in the fight and finish it to the end in the strength of Your might!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that Christ calls me to overcome, and He gives me the power to do it. He would not ask me to do something I cannot do. But I can overcome only through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, so I declare that I yield to the Person of the Holy Spirit who indwells me. I am a willing vessel for the Holy Spirit to release His supernatural power through me. He causes me to rise above my difficulties. His power enables me to put my foot on the enemy’s neck and command him to back down. The enemies I face hear my voice of authority and see my commitment — and as a result, they back off from their attack, because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What immediately comes to mind as the big issue you are trying to overcome in your life right now? Is there an area in your life you’ve identified as an issue you need to focus on? Now that you’ve identified that issue, what specifically are you going to do about it?
2. What issues that used to hamper your life have you already overcome? I’m talking serious issues from the past that are no longer a concern to you today. Don’t forget those victories! They will encourage you as you focus your faith on overcoming the current obstacles you’re facing.
3. Is there any area of your life in which you gained victory but let it slip away from you over a period of time? What are you going to do to retake that area of your life and then sustain that victory from this time forward?

Whatever Happens in a Person’s Private Life Affects His Public Life!

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

I want to devote today’s Sparkling Gem to the private lives of potential leaders. In particular, I want to talk about their marriages, their children, the physical condition of the houses where they live, and the manner in which they manage their personal finances. These four points are extremely important when you’re considering someone to be a leader.

What happens in a person’s private life affects his job or his public ministry. Someone may argue, “But my private life and my home life don’t have anything to do with my ministry at the church, my ability to serve, or how I perform at work. You have no right to dig into my personal life.”

This way of thinking is wrong. What happens in a person’s private life spills over into his public life. What goes on behind closed doors in a leader’s home will tell you exactly what kind of blessings or problems he will bring to his public ministry or job. This is precisely why the apostle Paul urged Timothy to take a deeper look at the personal life of a potential leader before inviting him to be a part of his leadership team (see 1 Timothy 3:4,5). You see, God designed the home as a honing instrument for many of the qualities required to be a leader in the Kingdom of God.

Paul told Timothy that a leader must be “one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)” (1 Timothy 3:4,5).

The Greek word for “ruleth” is the word proistimi, a compound of pro and istimi. The word pro means before or in front of, and the word istimi means to stand. When compounded together, the new word depicts someone who is standing up front before others in order to lead, guide, direct, or manage a situation. It conveys the meaning of a leader who is responsibly giving oversight and direction to a group of people or to a project. Paul uses the word “well” to describe the way this person rules. It is the Greek word kalos, which means good, well, or skilled. Thus, it pictures an individual who has shown that he is able to successfully give oversight to a group of people or to a specific project.

Paul says it is required that a spiritual leader rule well his own “house.” The word “house” is the Greek word oikos, which is the word for a physical house. However, as it is used here, it includes the management of the house and everything that happens in that house. Thus, “ruling” one’s household would include how a leader manages his home life, his children, the upkeep of the physical house or apartment where he lives, and his personal finances. All of this would be part of his oikos — his house.

Important information about how well potential leaders will serve at church or at work can be ascertained by delving into these four points. So let’s briefly review these four critical areas of concern.

Their Home Life:

Paul said a leader must be “one that ruleth well his own house….” As noted, the word “house” is the word oikos and includes everything about a person’s home life. One of the most strategic factors to consider when selecting new married leaders is the condition of their marriage. What kind of relationship do they have with their spouse? Is it a supportive, healthy marriage, or one that is full of problems? Does the relationship reveal good communication between the husband and wife? If that potential leader cannot successfully communicate with the most important person in his life, how do you know he will be able to properly communicate with others at church or at work? These questions may give you great insight into the pluses and minuses that come with new potential leaders.

Their Children:

Paul said a leader must be one who has his “…children in subjection with all gravity.” If potential candidates have children, perhaps nothing gives you clearer insight into what kind of leaders they will be than the example of their own children. Although you can’t make this a hard and fast rule, most often the children of potential leaders are a reflection of the kind of leadership those candidates are currently exercising in their own home.

Since people can impart only what they have in their private lives, it is good to observe what potential leaders have imparted within their own homes. What is the visible fruit of their influence and leadership in their children’s lives?

• Do the children speak respectfully to elders?
• Do they speak respectfully to each other?
• Do they understand authority and submission?
• Do the children do what they are told, or do they ignore their parents’ instructions?

The answers to these simple, basic questions are important indicators to let you know how potential candidates are leading their own homes. If they’re not leading their own homes with excellence, why would you imagine they could lead an entire division of the ministry with excellence? That’s why it’s important to never overlook a potential leader’s children. They will always be one of the clearest signals to alert you to the kind of leader this person will be.

Their House or Apartment:

Paul wrote that a leader must be one that “…ruleth well his own house….” As already stated above, the word “house” refers to everything connected to home life. Part of home life is the physical house where the family lives. Therefore, it’s valid to ask:

• What kind of home does this potential leader have? Is it well-kept and maintained?
• Is it needlessly neglected? Does it look like it’s falling apart?
• Is the yard mowed so this candidate has a good testimony with his or her neighborhood?

What exactly did Paul mean when he said leaders must rule well their own homes? One thing is for sure: If a potential leader can’t decently take care of his own domain, you don’t want to put him in charge of your domain. That’s why this is such a serious question to consider when selecting someone for a prominent place of leadership in your church, ministry, or organization.

Their Finances:

In regard to finances, the phrase “ruleth well his own house” leads me to ask, “How does this potential leader handle his money and the payment of monthly bills?”

How a person handles money is very revealing. It tells a lot about his personal integrity, his character, and how he respects the rights of others. When a person doesn’t regularly pay his bills on time, he inconveniences and upsets other people’s financial plans. This failure to keep financial commitments often reflects a lack of respect for others’ needs and rights.

It also may simply be a sign that this person is immature in his understanding of money management and responsibility. Or he may not do well at saying no to his fleshly lust for material things. A person’s financial problems may also be an indicator that he’s experiencing problems in his marriage as well. Or perhaps his life is unstable due to irregular work conditions.

No matter which of these factors may be the cause for a candidate’s financial problems, they are all serious enough to require thoughtful consideration on your part. Does this person have the time, energy, or maturity to handle a position of greater responsibility in your church, ministry, or organization?

Never forget that it is impossible to separate a person’s public life from his private life. What happens in one area spills over into the other. What is in a potential leader’s personal life is exactly what he will bring into his public life. If he has order and peace in his private life, it will give him a solid foundation for public ministry. But if he struggles with disorder, chaos, turmoil, confusion, upheaval, and anarchy in his private life, it will obviously affect his ability to carry on publicly as a leader.

What happens at home really does affect one’s ability to work, serve, and follow God’s will for his life. If this is the case, what do these things reveal about those people who are being considered for leadership in a church, business, or organization? Does their home life show that they are ready for larger areas of responsibility?

And by the way — while you’re thinking about the home life of these leadership candidates, it would be good for you to turn these questions around and apply them to yourself. What does your home life reveal about YOU?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me bring order into my own personal life! Since what is happening in my private life is exactly what I will bring into my public life, I want to bring more order into my own personal affairs. Help me take an honest look at my life so I can see those areas that desperately need my attention. Once I acknowledge the areas that need fixing, please give me the courage to delve into those areas and to get things right. I want every area of my life to glorify You, so if there is a secret part of my life that doesn’t bring honor to You, I’m looking to You to help me make the needed changes.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that with God’s help, I am putting my house in order! The way I handle my family life, my children, my physical home, and my finances brings glory to Jesus Christ. I am serious about my walk with God, and I therefore invite Him to invade every sphere of my life and to bring it under His Lordship. Jesus is Lord of my marriage, my children, my home, and my money. It all belongs to Him; therefore, I want to be a wise steward for His sake — and I will!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If you are seeking new leadership for the church, business, or organization, have you considered these deeper issues? If you had considered this before selecting leaders in the past, do you think it would have helped you make better leadership choices?

2. Have you seen glaring problems in a potential leader’s home that you overlooked because his gifts and talents were needed? Did you later regret your choice because he brought many of those same problems to his job?

3. After reading today’s Sparkling Gem, do you see areas in your own life that need attention? If your answer is yes, what are you going to do to start bringing order into those areas of your home life?

You Can Beat Any Temptation!

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
— 1 Corinthians 10:13

Everyone has to deal with temptations at one time or another, so you don’t need to feel embarrassed if you’re facing a particular temptation right now. But at the same time, you don’t have to succumb to temptation, because it is something you can overcome! All temptations can be beaten! You just have to make up your mind that you’re going to be the conqueror and not the conquered!

You may not have thought of it before, but the devil tries to lure you into sin by using your mind and emotions. He injects thoughts into your mind and emotions that act as stimulants to get you all stirred up in a certain area of your life. At that moment, you are consciously aware that you can let the temptation pass you by — or you can allow those thoughts to fester in your mind and take root in your emotions until they become a major stronghold in your mind to battle and conquer. By refusing to accept the thoughts in the first place, you can avoid the whole struggle!

It’s similar to a sexual temptation. You can choose to turn and look the other way, or you can dwell on that temptation until it fills your mind and imagination. If you choose to meditate on the thought that the devil is trying to put into your head, it won’t be too long until the devil is waging a full-scale battle in your mind! If you don’t put on the brakes and stop those thoughts, the devil will conquer you. That’s why it’s so important that you learn how to control your thinking. If you can keep your mind under the control of the Holy Spirit, you will make it almost impossible for the devil to defeat you in any realm of your life.

The devil is a master when it comes to mind manipulation. He knows that if he can get you to spend a little time meditating on something wrong, he can eventually entice you to do it! If the devil was persuasive enough to deceive brilliant, mighty, powerful angels, how much more easily can he deceive people who live in a far-from-perfect environment and wrestle daily with their own imperfections! The emotional makeup of human beings makes them even more susceptible to the devil’s masterful skills of lying, deception, and manipulation.

Satan watches for the right timing. He comes along at an opportune moment. He waits until you’re tired, weary, or exasperated. Perhaps you woke up in a bad mood; someone gave you a “look” you didn’t like; or you just started off your day on the wrong foot. Then suddenly he strikes you with a thought — something that takes you totally by surprise when your guard is down!

When negative thoughts begin to deluge your mind, you need to know that it is Satan setting a trap in front of you. He is trying to ensnare you so he can cripple and devastate both you and the people you love. He’s trying to get you to bite the bait so he can set the hook! But you don’t have to fall into this trap anymore! If you really want out of this type of emotional quandary, there is a way out.

First Corinthians 10:13 promises, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

The word “temptation” is the Greek word peirasmos, and it may refer to any outside source that appeals to a weakness in your flesh. That appeal pulls you like a magnet; it lures you mentally, emotionally, and sensually; it fascinates the imagination; it entices the flesh to take a closer peek. If you don’t stop this process, it will set its hook in your soul and haul you right smack dab into the middle of some kind of sin!

Because the word peirasmos (“temptation”) can describe any weakness of the flesh, this scripture could apply to any fleshly weakness you might struggle with — from being lazy or easily offended; to thinking too lowly or too highly of yourself; to having a problem with anger or sexual temptation. Whatever your flesh responds to is what this word peirasmos refers to!

But this verse promises that God will make a way for you to escape temptation — if you really want to escape it! The Greek word for “escape” is the word ekbasis. This word is a compound of the word ek, meaning out, and the word basin, meaning to walk. When they are compounded together, it means to walk out, as to walk out of a difficult place; to walk out of a trap; or to walk out of a place that isn’t good for you.

This makes me think of the time Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife when she tried to seduce him. Rather than stay there and try to negotiate in the midst of the situation, Genesis 39:12 says Joseph “…fled, and got him out.” In other words, he got out of there as quickly as he could!

Negotiating with sin usually leads to falling into it rather than conquering it, so it’s better for a person to just get up and get away from the situation as quickly as he can! This is why Paul was constantly telling the early believers to “flee” evil influences (see 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22).

The word “flee” is the Greek word pheugo, which means to flee, to take flight, to run away, to run as fast as possible, or to escape. This means you don’t want to succumb to those temptations that are surrounding you. You just need to get up, put on your jacket, pick up your things, and get out of that place of temptation as fast as you can! Let your feet fly as you flee that situation! You’re not stuck there! You can get out! You can walk out of that place just as easily as you walked in there! Your feet work in both directions! God will make a way for you to escape those negative emotions if you really want to escape them. But you are the only one who can make the choice to jump through that escape hatch!

• If you know you’re being tempted to angrily explode, walk out before it happens!
• If you know you’re being tempted to get your feelings hurt, go somewhere else to avoid the offense!
• If you know you’re being tempted to slip into a state of laziness, then get up and get busy!
• If you know you’re being tempted to steal, get as far away as you can from the money or the coveted object!
• If you know you’re being tempted to sexually sin, get out of that situation immediately!
• If you know you’re being tempted to do anything wrong, it’s time for you to flee from the temptation!

Millions of Christians are held captive because they will not take the leap through that escape hatch. As a result, they have no joy, no peace, and no victory in their lives. They may be Christians, but they’re miserable because they haven’t made the choice to jump through the escape hatch God has provided for them and leave all those negative temptations and garbage behind.

If you’ll say yes to the Lord, He will show you how to walk out of this mess! You can avoid, evade, dodge, elude, shake off, get out of, and break away from every temptation! You are the only one who can choose to walk out of those killer mental attacks or negative situations. The moment you make that decision, your journey to freedom has begun!

So today the Lord is asking you: “Are you going to stay the way you are right now, or are you willing to take the proper steps to escape from this emotional temptation and demonic trap?” What is your answer? What are you going to do? God is waiting for you to decide if you will receive the freedom He is offering you or remain a hostage for the rest of your life. The choice is yours to make.

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me find the strength to say no to my flesh and to flee from temptation when it tries to wrap its long tentacles around my soul and drag me into some kind of sin. I know what it’s like when sin calls out to my flesh, beckoning it to do something that is forbidden or wrong, but I don’t want to cooperate with it anymore. I want to walk free — to flee from sin and break free of its vicious grip. Help me bring my mind under the control of the Holy Spirit so I can think rationally when Satan tries to attack me through my mind, my emotions, or my senses.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God makes a way for me to escape temptation. I do not negotiate with sin! When it tries to call out to me, I get up and get out as quickly as I can. I flee, take flight, run away from, and escape as quickly as I can when I know the devil is attempting to lure me into his trap. That’s when I put on my jacket, pick up my things, and let my feet fly! God always makes a way for me to escape — and I always make the right choice to jump through that escape hatch!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of times when you were tempted to yield to sin? Knowing that you needed to get up and get out of that place of temptation, did you stay and fall into some kind of sin? Were you sorry later that you didn’t flee when you had the chance?

2. What is the chief area of temptation that you struggle with more than any other right now?

3. In order for you to walk free from the struggle of that temptation, what changes do you need to make in your life?

And when I [John] saw him [Christ], I fell at his feet as dead….
— Revelation 1:17

Over my years of serving God, I have noticed that often when people have encounters with God, they physically fall. Sometimes they fall forward, and at other times they fall backward. Still at other times, they simply collapse onto the ground. I have seen this in many meetings — and I experienced it as a young man. I can tell you, the experience was real.

My experience occurred the first time I ventured out from my Baptist church and attended a Pentecostal type of service. Just prior to that, I had been released from the hospital where I had been diagnosed with a kidney condition — one that I was born with — that was very serious. It was so serious that to try to correct it required surgery that was considered life-threatening. When the man praying for the sick in this Pentecostal meeting invited the sick to come forward, I went to the front to be prayed for, not having any idea what would happen.

When the minister laid his finger on my forehead, I felt the power of God come on me. My legs collapsed out from under me and I crumpled to the floor. I could feel the power of God radiating from one end of my body to the other end.

When I finally stood to my feet, I had been completely healed of the condition. That healing was later verified by my physician — and in the decades since that event occurred, I have never had a recurrence of that medical condition. I was supernaturally and permanently healed by the power of the Holy Spirit when I fell to the floor.

The Old and New Testaments tell of those who fell to the ground when they encountered the strong presence of God.

• Genesis 17:3 records that Abram collapsed when God spoke to him.
• Joshua 5:14,15 tells us that Joshua collapsed when he experienced the presence of the Lord.
• Ezekiel 1:28 and 3:23 say that Ezekiel collapsed when the glory of the Lord appeared to him.
• Daniel 8:17 and 10:15 state that Daniel collapsed on the ground when he encountered the glory of God.
• Matthew 17:6 records that when God’s glory was manifested to Peter, James, and John, all three of these men collapsed to the ground.
• Acts 9:4 and 26:14 reveal that Paul collapsed to the earth when he saw Christ on the road to Damascus.
• Revelation 1:17 tells that the apostle John collapsed at the feet of Jesus at the beginning of his vision on the island of Patmos.

Let’s look at John’s experience on the island of Patmos. Revelation 1:17 says, “And when I [John] saw him [Christ], I fell at his feet as dead….” The word “fell” is from the Greek word pipto, which means to fall from an upright position. It is used occasionally to describe those who fall in battle — which, of course, could mean a falling forward or backward or a crumpling to the ground. In John’s case, he fell at Jesus’ feet.

Revelation 1:17 says that John fell as one “dead.” The word “dead” is the Greek word nekros, which is the word for a corpse. In other words, in one split second, it seemed that all the life had gone out of him, and he crumpled forward (pipto) at the feet of Jesus. As it is with many cases in which people experience God’s glory, John’s legs buckled under him and the strength was drained from his body as he fell in the presence of God.

So if you hear of someone crumpling to the floor in the presence of God, don’t be too surprised. There are a lot of scriptural examples for people falling or collapsing when they come into contact with God’s supernatural power. I advise you to look at each of the scriptural examples I just shared and search this out for yourself. This “falling” may not be a common event in your church, but it has scriptural precedence, and it still happens. As I noted, it has undeniably happened to me.

If you’re standing in a prayer line to receive prayer and you feel the strength go from you — surrender to it and let the Holy Spirit perform a divine operation. This may even happen in the privacy of your own home.

For me, the experience of collapsing in God’s presence was real, and it resulted in a permanent healing in my body. God has used such moments in other people’s lives to remove bitterness, hardness of heart, and to perform all kinds of “spiritual surgeries.”

Who can guess what is happening in the heart, soul, or body of a person when he or she experiences this tangible touch of the Holy Spirit? Perhaps it is an operation of God’s power to do something in the person that couldn’t be dealt with any other way.

If this experience has never happened to you, just tell God today that you are willing for Him to work in your life any way He sees fit. And if that means you will one day have a supernatural encounter with His power that is too strong for you to remain upright, just say, “Amen, Lord! I’m hungry to receive more of You — whatever that means and whatever that looks like in every situation!”

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I know that You love me deeply and that Your love for me is not proven by physical manifestations such as falling down under the power of the Holy Spirit. But I want to thank You for the times I have come into contact with Your strong presence to such an extent that I could physically feel the result of it. I open my heart for You to move in my life in any way that You wish — and I ask You to forgive me for being skeptical in the past when I’ve heard of such experiences in others and have doubted it. From this moment onward, I am open for You to make Yourself known to me in any way You desire.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I experience the power of God in my life and that my heart and my mind are open to experiencing His presence in whatever way He wishes to manifest Himself to me. I am willing to be changed by the power of God, regardless of whether I remain on my feet or lie on the floor. I am open to the Holy Spirit, and I desire to yield fully to His divine operation inside me. I long for it; I pray for it; and I claim it!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever known a person who came into such strong contact with the power of God that he or she crumbled to the floor as a result? Who was that person? Why don’t you ask that individual to tell you about the spiritual significance of his or her experience?
2. Can you think of any other examples from the Old or New Testament in which individuals fell when they came into the strong presence of God?
3. Has this experience of falling under the power of God ever happened to you? If yes, how did it affect you? Do you know what God imparted to you or said during that encounter with Him?