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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Prayer for Today

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

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

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

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

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

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

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

How Badly Do You Want To Win Your Race?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Prayer for Today

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

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

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

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

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

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

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

Don’t Ignore the Fruit Growing On the Branches of the Tree!

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
— Matthew 7:20

Jesus taught very strongly that when considering people for any leading position, it is necessary that we first carefully look at the fruit in that person’s life. Even if the person is willing and eager to serve, the fruit in his personal life and attitude is exactly what you’re going to get when you put him into a position of leadership. So don’t ignore what you see!

One of the greatest mistakes I’ve made through the years is to ignore obviously bad symptoms in a person’s life because I so wanted to see that person use his gifts and reach his maximum potential. But I learned the hard way that we cannot overlook the fruit in a person’s life when considering him or her for a position of leadership. Talents and gifts are important, but they do not supersede the importance of a person’s character.

In Matthew 7:20, Jesus told us, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” The word “fruit” is the Greek word karpos — the Greek word that describes the physical fruit of plants or trees. However, the word karpos is also used to depict the fruit borne by a person’s life. This fruit might include a person’s deeds, actions, moral character, and behavior, or the output of the person’s work. In essence, Jesus used the word karpos to tell us that the various by-products of a person’s life ultimately reveal what is inside that person.

Jesus taught that we can ascertain much about a person by looking at the fruit in his life. In fact, Jesus said it is possible to “know” people by their fruit. The word “know” is the Greek word epignosis, a compound of the words epi and gnosis. The word epi means upon; the word gnosis means to know and is the Greek word for knowledge. When you compound these two words together, they form the word that means to come upon or to happen upon some kind of knowledge and carries the idea of making a discovery.

In light of this, we must be very careful to look at the fruit of people’s lives when considering them for key positions in our churches, ministries, businesses, or organizations. You can make quite a discovery about people if you’ll just take the time to carefully observe their lives! If you want to know what is inside a person, just observe his attitudes and how he relates to other people. His fruit will tell you the truth about who he really is. Good fruit belongs to good trees, and bad fruit belongs to bad trees. It’s that simple. The fruit never lies.

For so many years, I made the mistake of being impressed with the tree while failing to take a serious look at the fruit. I learned the hard way that even though the tree may be tall, stout, and strong, that impressive-looking tree may produce deadly fruit. Or perhaps the tree is destined to produce good fruit in the future, but the time for picking its fruit hasn’t come yet.

Timing is very important when it comes to harvesting good fruit. It’s simply a fact that if you pick fruit before it’s ready, it will produce a bitter taste. For example, if you pick apples too early, their taste is sour, bitter, and sharp. By picking an apple before it’s ripe, you ruin what would have been a perfectly good apple.

It’s the same with people. If you pull someone off the pew and plop him into a leadership position before he’s ripe, it won’t be an enjoyable experience for either you or that person. If he isn’t ripe yet, there’s nothing you can do to make him ripen faster. So be careful not to push this kind of person into a position he isn’t ready to handle; if you do, both of you will end up regretting a sour experience.

John Mark is a good example of what I’m talking about. This young man had so much potential that Paul and Barnabas took him with them when they first began their journeys (Acts 13:5). But Acts 13:13 tells us that for some reason, John Mark abandoned the apostles at an early stage of the trip and returned home to Jerusalem.

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly why John Mark left. Perhaps he was homesick and therefore returned home. Maybe he was simply immature and unfaithful. Whatever caused John Mark to decide to leave, the experience left such a bitter taste in Paul’s mouth that when Barnabas wanted to take this young man on the next trip, Paul refused.

Paul’s memories of John Mark were so bitter that he fought with Barnabas about it. Paul even broke up his partnership with Barnabas rather than be subjected to another bad experience with this young man. But then something truly amazing happened. Years later when Paul was in a Roman prison preparing to die, he wrote to Timothy and said, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).

This “Mark” that Paul mentioned is the same John Mark whom Paul earlier refused to take as a part of his team. Now years have passed, and John Mark has grown and matured. By the time Paul wrote those words to Timothy, he considered this young man not only ready to be used, but “profitable for the ministry”!

When John Mark went on that first trip with Paul and Barnabas many years earlier, he was simply not ready to be used as a part of such a significant leadership team. As is often the case, the problem years before wasn’t whether or not John Mark was “called”; it was a matter of timing. He wasn’t mature enough to take part in such heavy-duty ministry at that earlier time. But now years had passed, and Mark had not only become ready, but profitable to the work of God.

John Mark was like an apple that had been picked too early. He went on that first ministry trip before his fruit was ripe or ready for picking. But the truth is, that wasn’t entirely John Mark’s fault. Those who chose him to be a part of that first team made a mistake by selecting him too soon. They needed to accept part of the responsibility for putting an immature person into the ministry before he was ready.

It is true that Mark did wrong by abandoning the apostles to return home prematurely. However, this probably wouldn’t have happened if the leaders had tested him properly instead of rushing through the process in order to use him. Although Mark may have been talented and gifted, he wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility in the ministry. He was an apple picked before it was ripe!

So open your eyes, and let the Holy Spirit help you observe the fruit a person produces in his life. If you see a disturbing symptom, don’t overlook the warning signs that are flashing all around you, hoping that these things will somehow mysteriously go away. Pay attention to what you see and hear, because what you see and the attitude that person emits is most likely what he will produce once you take him into your team.

And as you contemplate the fruit produced by others, don’t forget to let the Holy Spirit speak to you about the fruit you are producing in your own life! Would others say the fruit they taste from your life is sweet or bitter? Are you a blessing, or are you a curse? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. So what kind of fruit do you produce? Always remember — the fruit never lies!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me take a truthful look at the fruit produced in my life. After seeing the truth and coming to recognize areas of my life that produce bad fruit, please help me purge those bad places from my character so I can start producing good fruit in every part of my life. Without You, I can never be everything I need to be — but with Your help, I can become just like Jesus! So today I am asking You to help me get started purging and cleansing every part of my life that produces less-than-pleasing fruit.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am a producer of good fruit! People see the character of Jesus Christ in me, and I demonstrate His love to everyone around me. Every day I am drawing closer to the Lord and becoming more like Jesus. The fruit produced by my life is so sweet that it causes others to draw near that they might experience the goodness of God as demonstrated through me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever known a person who produced fruit so bitter that you wanted to stay away from him? What kind of bitter fruit did that person produce?

2. Have you ever known individuals who produced such sweet fruit in their lives that you cherished every opportunity to be close to them? How would you describe the good fruit these individuals produced with their lives?

3. If you were someone else looking at your own life, would you rate the fruit demonstrated by your life as good or bad fruit? Explain your answer.

Your Faith Will Put You On Center Stage!

Partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
— Hebrews 10:33

Have you ever taken a stand of faith that made you the biggest joke in your church, among your friends, in your city, or in your state? When people heard what you believed that God told you, did they laugh? Did they find the dream God gave you to be one of the most amusing things they had ever heard, endlessly joking about it at your expense? Did you find their response humiliating and hurtful, or were you able to shove it aside and keep marching forward with the orders Jesus gave you?

When the writer of Hebrews wrote his letter, the Jewish believers to whom he was writing had been walking by faith for many years. He reminded them of how people first responded when they started their walk of faith. He said, “Partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used” (Hebrews 10:33).

Do you see the word “gazing stock” in this verse? It comes from the Greek word theatron, from which we get the word theater. It means to observe, to watch, to study, to scrutinize, or to bring upon the stage for all to see. It is a picture of spectators taking their seats in the theater to watch how the play goes, all the way through Act I, Act II, Act III, and Act IV. However, if we look at this word in the context of this verse, we can see that this audience isn’t watching to see how good the show is; they are watching in order to catch the players making a mistake!

This crowd is on the edge of their seats, anticipating the first time one of the actors makes a mistake or forgets a line so they can laugh at him, scorn him, ridicule him, and make fun of him. In fact, one expositor says the Greek word theatron in this verse means to bring on to the stage in order to scorn, to scoff at, to shame, to sneer at, and to publicly humiliate.

It is so important that this word was used here, for the Holy Spirit is alerting us to the fact that whether you and I like it or not, when we take a step of faith or a new stand on the Word of God, it almost always puts us “center stage”! We may not be known by thousands, but our faith confession or our announced plans will become the dinner conversation among friends, family, associates, and foes. Everyone will seem to develop an opinion as to whether we are overstepping our boundaries by taking on something too big for us, or whether we will be able to fulfill our dream.

You’ll be amazed at how many of the people you thought would believe in you and support you instead buy a ticket to the show with everyone else, taking a seat in the theater to watch how well you fare with your new grand announcement! It’s just a fact that there will always be spectators who stand by, eagerly anticipating the moment they can laugh at you or say, “We told you so!” when you make your first mistake in your walk of faith. Unfortunately, many times these spectators are not unbelievers, but believers!

Because the word theatron is used in this verse, an expanded translation of this verse could read this way:

“You were made a theater.…”
“You became a spectacle of entertainment.…”
“On account of your faith, you became the best show in town….”

Hebrews 10:33 also uses two other very important words that are key for you to understand. These are the words “reproaches” and “afflictions.” The word “reproach” is the Greek word oneidismos, and it refers to insults hurled at you from other people. This is precisely what they did to Jesus when He was on the Cross. That Cross literally put Jesus on the center stage of the universe. Rather than applauding Him for what He was doing for mankind, the people “reproached” Him. In other words, they threw insults and slanderous accusations at Him.

When you take a strong stand by faith or when the Holy Spirit convicts you about staying true to a principle in God’s Word, Satan will do everything within his power to coax you to move off that stance of faith. He’ll use family members, friends, associates, and even circumstances to thwart the plan of God for your life. The devil will use people you know and love to say things that simply shock you! This is his attempt to get you to back off the promise you have received. But if you are certain you are doing what God told you to do, don’t budge an inch, no matter how much verbal opposition you encounter!

But Paul says that in addition to the verbal abuse that people may hurl at you, the devil will also try to use “afflictions” to stop you! The word “afflictions” is from the Greek word thlipsis, which refers to a tight squeeze or terrible pressure. This describes how the devil will try to use circumstances and events in life to put you under so much pressure that you eventually break, throwing in the towel and giving up. This word thlipsis indicates that the devil may try to use everything around you to shut you down when you step out in faith to obey what God has instructed you to do.

Satan doesn’t hide in the closet and pop out at night to personally attack us while we’re sleeping! Because he is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), he uses the world to do battle with us. In other words, he uses people, events, situations, circumstances, and difficult dilemmas to obstruct us from reaching our goals.

But regardless of what weapon the enemy uses or how he attempts to combat you and me, we have a faith that overrides and supersedes any organization, any event, any circumstance, or any difficult dilemma Satan would try to employ against us. He may be the “god of this world,” but we have a weapon so powerful that we can shoot him down every time he shows up uninvited!

So when you find yourself on center stage in front of people who are watching your walk of faith as if it were the newest show in town, don’t let this situation take you by surprise or throw you off track from your assignment. Ignore it. And if problems emerge as you step out in faith, don’t let that shake you either. You shouldn’t automatically assume that problems are indicators you are doing something wrong. They may be indicators that you are doing something right and that Satan hates it!

Ask the Spirit of God to help you stay on track. Don’t budge an inch, and refuse to yield or give any territory to the devil. It’s time for you to stay put, ignore the opposition, and hold tight!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me keep my eyes and ears fixed on You and not on what I see and hear coming from people and circumstances around me. I believe that Your Word is true; therefore, I am standing firm on Your promise to me. Regardless of what people say or do, I choose to follow You! Please help me to stay put and to ignore other people’s verbal accusations as I hold tightly to Your Word.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that I will not move from the promise Jesus made to me! His Word is true, and His timing is right. Therefore, I am staying put until I see the manifestation of what I have believed! Although the devil tries to use people and circumstances to move me, I refuse to be moved from what Jesus has promised me! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of a time when you took a step of faith that put you on center stage in most people’s minds? Did you feel like everyone bought a ticket to the show and took their seats to watch, to scrutinize, and to criticize?

2. As you sincerely review your own past, can you think of a time in your life when you became the cynic and critic of someone who took a step of faith? If your answer is yes, is it possible that you are now reaping what you sowed and that you need to repent for being critical in the past of others who took similar steps of faith?

3. Do you have a faith-filled circle of friends who are standing with you and who are supporting you as you take this step of faith? Can you name those friends who are standing with you?

The Rank and File Of Satan’s Kingdom

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
— Ephesians 6:12

I realize that many people tend to think that screaming, yelling, screeching, stomping, and shouting are required to defeat the devil. However, these actions will accomplish nothing if those same people are not living a consecrated and holy life.

It is simply a fact that if we have deliberately or by negligence allowed sinful strongholds to secretly remain in our lives, then we have left gaping holes through which Satan may continue to insert his schemes into our lives. Negligence in dealing with these secret places may give Satan the very loopholes he needs to orchestrate our defeat!

This business of spiritual warfare is serious! We must do all we can to shut every door to our souls through which the devil might attempt to access our lives. Because this issue is so serious, we would do well to pay attention when the Bible offers us information about the enemy of our souls. The devil has destroyed too many Christians who were ignorant of his devices!

In Ephesians 6:12, the apostle Paul presents a divine revelation he received that describes how Satan’s kingdom has been militarily aligned. He writes, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Notice that at the top of this list, Paul mentions a group of evil spirits he calls “principalities.” This word is taken from the Greek word archai, an old word that is used symbolically to denote ancient times. It is also used to depict individuals who hold the highest and loftiest position of rank and authority. By using the word archai, Paul emphatically tells us that at the very top of Satan’s kingdom are powerful evil beings that have held their lofty positions of power and authority since ancient times — probably ever since the fall of Lucifer.

Paul goes on to tell us that below principalities is a second group of evil beings he refers to as “powers.” This word “powers” is taken from the Greek word exousia, and it denotes delegated authority. This describes a lower, second-level group of evil beings — demon spirits — who have received delegated authority from Satan to carry out all manner of evil in whatever way they desire to do it. These evil forces are second in command in Satan’s dark kingdom.

Continuing in his description of Satan’s rank and file in descending order, Paul mentions “the rulers of the darkness of this world.” This amazing phrase is taken from the word kosmokrateros and is a compound of the words kosmos and kratos. The word kosmos denotes order or arrangement, whereas the word kratos has to do with raw power. Thus, the compounded word kosmokrateros depicts raw power that has been harnessed and put into some kind of order.

This word kosmokrateros was at times used to picture military training camps where young men were assembled, trained, and turned into a mighty army. These young men were like raw power when they first arrived in the training camp. However, as the military training progressed and the new recruits were taught discipline and order, all that raw manpower was converted into an organized, disciplined army. This is the word Paul now uses in his description of Satan’s kingdom. What does it mean?

It tells you and me that Satan is so serious about doing damage to the human race that he deals with demon spirits as though they are troops! He puts them in rank and file, gives them orders and assignments, and then sends them out like military soldiers who are committed to kill. Just as men in a human army are equipped and trained in their methods of destruction, so, too, are these demon spirits. And once these demons are trained and ready to start their assault, Satan sends them forth to do their devious work against human beings.

Paul makes reference to this dispatch of evil spirits when he writes next about “spiritual wickedness in high places.” The word “wickedness” is taken from the word poneros, and it is used to depict something that is bad, vile, malevolent, vicious, impious, and malignant. This tells us the ultimate aim of Satan’s dark domain: These evil spirits are sent forth to afflict humanity in bad, vile, malevolent, and vicious ways!

Satan uses all these evil forces in his attacks against mankind. Nevertheless, we believers have far more authority and power than the devil and his forces. You and I have the Greater One living within us! As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we are loaded with heaps and heaps of raw power, for the Church has no shortage of power, nor is it deficient in God-given authority. We have more power and more authority than all these evil forces combined!

What we lack is order and discipline. We must learn to see ourselves as the army of God and to view the local church as the training center where we are taught to do God’s business. Then we must heed the call of Jesus and be dispatched into the dark world to preach the Gospel and to drive these evil forces from people’s lives. We must buckle down and begin to view ourselves as the troops of Jesus Christ!

Being organized and disciplined includes living a holy and consecrated life. There is no room for slackness in the life of a real Christian soldier. To deal with these forces that are being dispatched to destroy us and the world around us, it is required that we walk with God and listen to the voice of His Spirit. We must gird up the loins of our minds and fill our thoughts with the Word of God. Satan’s troops are serious — and if we’re not serious about our contest with them, it will only be a matter of time until they discover our weakness and strike with all their force to bring us down.

Determine to see yourself as a soldier in the army of God. Don’t allow anything to remain in your life that would hinder your fight of faith. Be disciplined, committed, and organized. Take advantage of all the weapons described in Ephesians 6:13-18. Then get ready to witness the awesome demonstration of God’s power in your life as you prevail against Satan’s rank and file!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me start seeing myself as a mighty soldier in the army of God. You have provided every weapon I need to prevail against the enemies that come against my life, my family, my business, my friends, and my church. I want to stand tall and firm against the wicked plots the devil tries to exert against people’s lives whom I love and need. Holy Spirit, give me the power and strength I need to successfully resist every attack and to drive all dark forces from my life and from the lives of those close to me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I live a holy and consecrated life! There is no room for slackness in my life. I am serious about serving God as a real Christian soldier. I do everything that is required for me to walk with God and to hear the voice of His Spirit when He speaks to me. I am very serious about winning every conflict with evil forces. Because of my strong commitment to this fight of faith, I am more than a match for anything the devil tries to throw at me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. What did you learn by reading today’s Sparkling Gem?

2. Do you see yourself as a soldier in the army of God?

3. Do you view your local church as a place for you to be trained, taught, and disciplined in order to become a better Christian soldier?

Spiritual Warfare Is Real!

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
— Ephesians 6:12

Spiritual warfare is real! The devil and his demon spirits are not myths or fantasies. These are real beings that hate the human race and therefore roam about seeking whom they might destroy and devour. That’s why it is vitally important to know how to best protect yourself against their attacks!

Most of the attacks the devil wages against you will occur in your mind. He knows that your mind is the central control center for your life; therefore, if he can take control of one small area of your mind, he can begin to expand outward into other weak areas that need to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. By poisoning your mind with unbelief and lying strongholds, the devil can then manipulate not only your mind, but also your emotions and your body. There is no doubt about it — the mind is the strategic center where the battle is won or lost in spiritual warfare!

The devil wants to get access into your life — and if he finds that access, you may be headed for quite a conflict! You can see why it is so important that you keep every door shut; then the enemy won’t be able to find any entrance through which he can begin to wage warfare against you.

However, the devil will often put up quite a fight even when he doesn’t find an entrance into our lives. That’s why we need to know exactly what the Bible says about spiritual warfare.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul told us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” I want to especially draw your attention to the word “wrestle” in this verse, for this word is the key to understanding how intense spiritual warfare can become!

The word “wrestle” is from the old Greek word pale, which refers to struggling, wrestling, or hand-to-hand combat. However, the word pale is also the Greek word from which the Greeks derived their name for the Palaestra — a huge palace of combat sports that was situated in the center of most larger, ancient cities.

The Palaestra was a huge building that outwardly looked like a palace but was dedicated to the cultivation of athletic skills. Every morning, afternoon, and night, the most committed, determined, and daring athletes of the day could be found in this fabulous building, working out and training for their respective sports. Three kinds of athletes primarily worked out at the Palaestra: boxers, wrestlers, and pankratists.

Let me tell you a little about how these sports functioned in the first century when Paul wrote this verse, because it forms the backdrop to the word “wrestle” in Ephesians 6:12. The first and most feared combat sport was boxing. But the boxers from the first century were not like our boxers today. Their sport was extremely violent — so violent that they were not permitted to box without wearing helmets. Without the protection of helmets, their heads would have been crushed! In fact, this sport was so severe that few boxers ever lived to retire from their profession. Most of them died in the ring. Of all the sports, the ancients viewed boxing as the most hazardous and deadly.

In this brutal and barbaric sport, the ancient boxers wore gloves ribbed with steel and spiked with nails. At times the steel wrapped around their gloves was serrated, like the blade of a hunting knife, in order to make deep gashes in the opponent’s skin. In addition to this, they used extremely heavy gloves that made every punch more damaging. It is quite usual to find artwork from the time of the ancient Greeks that includes boxers whose faces, ears, and noses are totally deformed from being struck by these dangerous gloves.

Making this sport even more dangerous was the fact that there were no rules — except that a boxer couldn’t clench his opponent’s fist. That was the only rule of the game! There were no “rounds” like there are in boxing today. The fight just went on and on until one of the two surrendered or died in the ring.

Next, there were wrestlers! Wrestling was the most ancient of the combat sports. Because it was an essential part of the education of Roman boys in the wealthier classes, every adult male in those classes learned to wrestle. However, combat-sport wrestling was very different than simple wrestling. Although not quite as ugly and bloody as the other two combat sports, combat wrestling was still very aggressive and dangerous. Certain rules applied to the competitions of this combat sport. For instance, some of the most violent fighting techniques weren’t allowed in wrestling, such as blows, kicks, thrusts, throttle holds, twisting of the joints, and fighting on the ground.

The third combat sport was pankration, from the Greek words pan and kratos. The word pan means all, and kration is from the word kratos, which means power. When these two words were put together, they formed the word pankration, which means all powerful. These fighters were the fiercest, toughest, and most committed of all! In this sport, they were permitted to kick, punch, bite, gouge, strike, break fingers, break legs, and to do any other horrible thing you could imagine. There was no part of the human body that was off limits. They could do anything they wanted to any part of their competitor’s body, for there were basically no rules.

An early inscription from a father to his sons who participated in pankration says this: “If you should hear your son has died, you can believe it. But if you hear he has been defeated and chose to retire, do not believe it!” Why? Because like the other combat sports, pankration was extremely violent. While participating in this sport, more professional pankratists died than surrendered or were simply defeated.

I realize that these are very graphic images, but they are also very important images, for they are all contained in the word “wrestle” that Paul uses in Ephesians 6:12. In the day when Paul wrote this letter, everyone who saw the Greek word pale (“wrestle”) saw all these images in their minds. You can see, then, that this was a powerful, pungent word for Paul to use when he started to describe our conflict with unseen, demonic powers that Satan has marshaled together to try to destroy us. By using the word “wrestle” from the Greek word pale, Paul was telling every reader (and us) that spiritual warfare can be a bitter struggle and an intense conflict.

This first phrase in Ephesians 6:12 really carries this idea:

“For our wrestling — that is, our intense struggle, fierce combat, contest, challenge, and ongoing conflict — is not really with flesh and blood, but with….”

Then Paul goes on to describe the different levels of demonic powers that exist in Satan’s kingdom. As we look at what Paul said, I want you to see that this conflict can be fierce! I don’t mean to alarm you, but you need to know that the devil is serious in his attempts to destroy you — and if you haven’t prepared yourself spiritually to thwart such attacks, you may find yourself in a real quandary.

You see, our adversary is real. There are foul forces of darkness that work covertly behind most disasters and many moral failures. However, these demonic spirits can’t do anything unless our flesh cooperates with them! They may come to tempt, to seduce, to deceive, and to assault the mind — but unless they find a partner to listen or cooperate with them, their evil attempts are futile and powerless.

Therefore, the greatest key to winning every battle the devil wages against you is to keep your mind dominated by the Word of God. As you do that, your flesh will be kept under the control of the Holy Spirit, which will block the majority of the enemy’s attacks against your mind! This is why Peter urges us to “…gird up the loins of your mind…” (1 Peter 1:13).

Remember, the devil knows that if he can take control of one small area of your mind, he can begin to expand outward into other weak areas of your life. Therefore, don’t you think it’s time for you to start reading your Bible and filling your mind with God’s thoughts? There is no better mental protection against the enemy’s strategies than to fill your brain with God’s Word! It will strengthen you and keep your mind free from unbelief and lying strongholds.

So take God’s Word deep into your mind, and stop the devil from finding access into your life. Do everything you can to shut every door. Don’t give the enemy any entrance through which he can begin to wage warfare against you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I don’t want to ever give the devil access to my mind. I ask for forgiveness for the times I’ve permitted wrong thinking to go on inside me when I knew it was wrong. Now I understand that these are the areas through which the devil seeks to find entrance into my life. Starting today, I am asking You to help me locate each “open door” in my mind; then help me seal those doors shut by the power of Your Spirit and Your Word!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that my mind is dominated by the Word of God and that I am under the control of the Holy Spirit! I gird up the loins of my mind by reading my Bible and filling my mind with God’s thoughts. God’s Word strengthens me and keeps my mind free from unbelief and lying strongholds. I take God’s Word deep into my mind, and it stops the devil from finding access into my life! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of any “open doors” in your mind right now through which the devil finds access into your life? Write down the “open doors” you need to shut immediately in order to stop the enemy’s attacks.

2. Now that you have identified these areas, what are you going to do to seal them shut so the devil’s access to your life is stopped?

3. Are you able to do this on your own, or do you need to ask someone to help you with prayer and daily encouragement? If you need help, ask the Holy Spirit to show you whom you should talk to. Then boldly go to that person and ask for his or her assistance.

You Can Make a Difference In Someone Else’s Life!

And of some have compassion, making a difference.
— Jude 1:22

If you are burdened for someone who isn’t serving God the way he used to, it’s time for you to do something about it. Worrying won’t change a thing! But turning that worry into action can make a big difference in the outcome of that other person’s life.

You can make a difference in someone else’s life! That is precisely why Jude 22 tells us, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Do you see the word “compassion” in this verse? This important word is taken from the Greek word eleao, which in this case refers to deep-seated and unsettling emotions a person feels when he has seen or heard something that is terribly sad or upsetting.

These are the kinds of emotions that well up inside you when you see a child whose stomach is bloated from malnutrition and starvation. You might also feel these emotions when you see a person who is emaciated and dying of terminal cancer or a destitute family that is forced to live on the streets with no food and money.

Jude’s purpose in using the Greek word eleao is very plain. He is doing exactly what television programs do when they flash pictures of starving children with bloated stomachs on the television screen in front of us. The producers of these programs show us these kinds of worst-scenario pictures in order to stir us to action.

These pictures of desperate misery from Third World countries are flashed in front of us while emotionally moving music plays in the background. Then the celebrity host on the program says in an impassioned voice, “Pick up your phone and call today. Your call could save the life of a child.”

These kinds of television programs are designed to stir up emotional feelings of pity. The producers of the programs realize that simply stating a need verbally would never get our attention; we’re just too mentally busy in today’s society. Therefore, they make the need as graphic as they possibly can, knowing that pictures speak a thousand words and are much more effective in arousing pity from our hearts.

However, arousing pity is not the ultimate aim of these programs. The horrifying pictures and emotional musical background are designed to convince you to pick up your telephone, call the phone number on the television screen, and make a donation to help the cause of the sponsoring organization. This compulsion to act and to do something is the moment when pity is transformed into compassion. By itself, pity would simply feel sorry about the situation. But compassion cannot sit by and idly watch the scenario grow worse. Compassion reaches out to act immediately and to do something about the situation.

It is unmistakably clear that Jude wants to elicit an emotional response from his readers. He wants them to graphically see and understand the seriousness of believers who have backslidden into a life of sin and disobedience. He wants his readers to “feel” for these critically ill spiritual patients. In fact, he wants them to “feel” their condition so intensely that he says, “And of some have compassion.…” In other words, Jude is telling his readers to take that pity and turn it into action!

You see, when genuine compassion begins to flow from your heart, you cannot sit idly by and simply feel sorry about a person’s situation. Real compassion says, “I have to get up and do something about this!”

Because Jude uses the word “compassion,” he is telling us that the spiritual condition of a backslidden believer is just as real and serious as the plight of a starving child, a dying man, or a destitute family. If you will allow the love of God to flow through you, it won’t be long until compassion for these erring believers begins to flow from you to them. Then you will be compelled to see them set free from their bondage! That compulsion is the activity of compassion!

You may think, “Yes, but those believers knew better! If they had stayed faithful in their walk with the Lord, they wouldn’t be in the mess they are in right now. Isn’t it their fault that they’re in trouble?”

The answer to this question may be “Yes, they are to blame for their condition.” However, consider this: Wouldn’t you have compassion on a homosexual who contracted AIDS due to his own illicit sexual activity? Although his own actions got him into his mess, wouldn’t it still grab hold of your heart when you saw his wasting body? Wouldn’t his helpless condition make you wish there was a cure for AIDS?

In the same way, even though a sinning believer may have gotten himself into trouble because of his own actions, we must not therefore shut off the flow of God’s compassion that resides within us. Believers who have become spiritually deceived need a touch of God’s power more than they ever did before! Therefore, we cannot let the enemy sow hardheartedness in our hearts toward people who have become spiritually ill or backslidden. Their plight is very serious, and they need our help and prayers of intercession!

If you know people who fit this description, it’s time for you to let the supernatural compassion of Jesus Christ begin to flow out of your heart toward them. These error-ridden believers need a divine touch from God that will open their eyes and bring them back to the Lord. By releasing a flow of this powerful force toward them, you could set in motion the very deliverance these individuals need from the powers of darkness that bind their souls and keep them in deception.

This is why Jude urges us to release this delivering flow of compassion when he says, “And of some have compassion.…” This kind of compassion is a mighty force that reaches even into the flames of judgment to snatch people from destruction. Why not open the bowels of your heart and allow this supernatural flow of compassion to start flowing through you today? Just think — by opening your heart and letting compassion flow through you toward these people, you could be the very one God uses to bring them back home again!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, please forgive me for being hardhearted, condemning, and judgmental toward people who have needed my prayers and intercession. Instead of wasting all my time judging them, I could have been praying for them. Now I see my mistake, and I truly repent for it. Starting today, I pledge to change my attitude — to open my heart and let the compassion of Jesus Christ flow through me to help set their deliverance in motion. Let Your compassion begin flowing through me today!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly confess that compassion flows through me like a river! Condemnation and judgment have no place in my life, in my thinking, or in the way I relate to other people. I am filled with the love of God, and I allow that love to touch others who are near me. The bowels of my heart release the compassion of Jesus Christ, touching the lives of people caught in the deception of sin and darkness and setting them free!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you know anyone who is no longer walking with God and for whom you need to be praying and interceding right now?

2. Have you acted in a judgmental way toward a sinning or erring believer — someone who really needs your prayers and intercession, not your condemnation? If your answer is yes, I suggest that you take a few minutes to get your heart right with God and then begin to regularly pray for his or her deliverance.

3. Have you ever been caught in a deception, but someone loved you through it until you were set free and put back on a straight course? Who was that person who stood with you through that ordeal? Did you ever take the time to express your gratefulness for his or her love and patience toward you during that time?

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
— Matthew 25:30

When I was a boy growing up in the church, I would frequently hear preachers use the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” as a part of their sermons, especially if they were preaching on the subject of eternal damnation. Every time I heard the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” I wondered, What does that phrase mean? What is weeping and gnashing of teeth?

The answer to this question is found in the story of the master who gave talents to three of his servants. As we already saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, Jesus called the lazy servant in that parable a “wicked and slothful servant.” The words “wicked and slothful” both come from the single Greek word okneros. This word means lazy or idle. It carries the idea of a person who has a do-nothing, lethargic, lackadaisical, apathetic, indifferent, lukewarm attitude toward life.

Jesus used this parable to teach those of us who are His followers what He expects of us. The master in the parable vividly illustrates Jesus’ sentiments toward people who have great potential but who are too lazy to get up, get out of the house, and do something to develop the potential that has been entrusted to them. Friend, we need to pay careful attention to the message in this parable, because how Jesus sees things is how we must see things!

Notice that the master in this parable said, “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents” (v. 28). This would be the response of any employer who discovered a time-waster on his staff. Rather than throw away more time waiting for an unprofitable, non-productive person to get with the program, a smart employer will take his responsibility from him and give it to someone he knows can get the job done right!

Jesus continued, “For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (v. 29). Here again we find a powerful truth: Those who are good performers and whom the boss can trust to get things done will always have a very full plate of responsibility. The employer trusts this employee’s ability and appreciates his willingness to do whatever necessary to complete the assigned task with excellence. Therefore, he keeps piling more and more on this person whom he knows he can trust! This is precisely what Jesus meant when he said, “For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance….”

But Jesus also said, “…But from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath.” A good way to make sure that you get no pay increase or promotion and possibly even get fired is to do a poor job. Poor jobs should not be rewarded.

Rewards are given to those who deserve them. If a person consistently fails to do his job correctly or on time, or if he consistently does his assigned task with a grumpy, complaining attitude, he shouldn’t be surprised when the new and bigger assignments are delegated to someone else besides him!

This leads us to Jesus’ statement about “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in Matthew 25:30. It says, “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The word “unprofitable” is the Greek word achreios, which literally means useless. A literal translation in today’s vernacular would be the good-for-nothing servant.

But notice that the master in this parable said to “cast” this servant “into outer darkness.” The word “cast” is the word ekballo, from the words ek and ballo. The word ek means out, and the word ballo means to throw. Together these words mean to expel, to throw out, to drive out, or to kick out. This word pictures the master saying, “Throw him out…”; “Kick the guy out of the organization…”; “Expel him as quickly as you can…”; “Toss him out of here….” The Greek expresses such total intolerance for laziness and non-productivity that the master wants the unprofitable servant gone as quickly as possible!

The master said to cast the unprofitable servant into “outer darkness.” Let me explain this to you, because it is very important to the truth in this parable.

It is a fact that in New Testament times, almost every large city had huge stone city walls that protected the city from intruders and from lions who roamed the countryside. The residents of the city often dumped their garbage over the top of the walls in certain parts of the city, allowing the trash to fall and build up around the base of the huge stone walls. Because this garbage included unused food, lions from the countryside would come to the base of the city walls late at night — when it was very dark — to pillage the trash and look for food.

These huge piles of trash became sites where authorities tried to determine the guilt or innocence of individuals suspected of crimes but not concretely proven to be guilty. The authorities would tie the suspected criminal with rope and lower him to the base of the city walls during the darkest hours of the night — right into the midst of the garbage where the lions roamed every night. If they found the suspect alive the next morning, he was judged to be innocent of his crime. If he had been devoured, it was assumed that he had been guilty of the crime of which he had been accused.

Even if the victim was found alive the next morning, he was usually insane or on the verge of total insanity. In fact, his teeth were usually ground down by his own nervous gnashing and grinding of his teeth as the lions prowled and roared all around him all night long. This is where we get the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It was derived from this experience of suffering agony and even insanity as a result of being cast into outer darkness.

Why would Jesus use this example to depict the unprofitable servant who was kicked out of the business or organization? Well, just imagine what this person would feel like after being kicked out for doing a poor job. Later he would see others doing exactly what he had once been asked to do but what he had refused or failed to do because he was too lazy. That experience would be pure agony for him! It would be so difficult to watch someone else in his position — doing what he used to do, getting the promotion he could have gotten, achieving the greatness he should have achieved. To know that all of this could have been his if he hadn’t forfeited it through his own wrong attitude and laziness — that would be agony for anyone!

So many people have had great ideas, but because they pondered the idea for too long without acting on it, someone else finally came up with the same idea — and then went out and did something about it! The person who originally came up with the idea sees someone else prospering with the idea he had first. How do you think that makes him feel? He knows it could have been him experiencing that prosperity and success, but now it’s too late. His hesitation to act or his laziness prevented him from getting up and putting that idea into action; as a result, the opportunity passed on to someone who was willing to do something with the idea.

Do you know anyone who has experienced such agony due to his own lack of faith to step out and act on his dream? Do you fit this description yourself?

I pray that I haven’t just described you! The last thing Jesus wants is for you to experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” But honestly, friend, it’s up to you. If you do nothing with the abilities and opportunities God gives you, you can be certain that those privileged opportunities for success will pass to someone who is willing to do something with them. The opportunity can be yours, or it can be taken from you. But if it is taken from you, it will be agony to your soul when you see someone else standing in your dream.

That’s why I am begging you — please don’t make this mistake! God has given you gifts, callings, and dreams to fulfill. Now it’s up to you to step out in faith and DO something with what He has given you! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me understand how to act on the ideas You have placed in my heart. I don’t want to be like the unprofitable servant who was thrown into outer darkness and experienced weeping and gnashing of teeth. I want to stand in the reality of the dream You have put in my heart. Please give me wisdom and courage to step out and begin to fulfill the dream You birthed so deeply inside my soul. I need You, Holy Spirit. I ask You to stir up Your courage inside me and help me to get moving!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I’m not lazy or afraid to step out in faith. I am filled with God’s wonderful ideas, and I will do what He has put in my heart. I am not hesitant or fearful but rather bold, courageous, and ready to go! God is my Helper; therefore, I will not be afraid. I will not fear what man can do to me, for the Lord is with me! He directs my mind; He guides my steps; and His Word lights my path before me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever experienced “weeping and gnashing of teeth” from watching someone else step into your dream or your position because you failed to do it first?

2. If your answer is yes, did you ask Jesus to forgive you for being so faithless, afraid, hesitant, or lazy? If you haven’t asked Him to forgive you yet, don’t you think it would be a good idea to find a quiet place where you can really talk to the Lord about this?

3. If you have truly repented of your past actions, Jesus has forgiven you. Are you open for Him to give you another dream or opportunity when He sees that you’re ready for the next assignment?

What Jesus Thinks of Laziness

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
— Matthew 25:30

My grandfather was a German immigrant who spoke no English when he arrived at Ellis Island in New York’s harbor, so he had to work very hard to achieve anything in his new life in America. Because he had no time to go to school to learn English, the best job he could get was to work as a janitor. In the course of his janitorial duties, my grandfather pulled discarded tin cans out of the kitchen garbage in the tall skyscraper he cleaned every night. The cans had pictures of vegetables and fruit on them, and he found out that by comparing the words on the cans to the pictures, he could start teaching himself how to read and speak English.

As the years passed, my grandfather worked hard to educate himself and eventually received highest honors in his field of engineering. As he raised his son — my father — Grandfather went on to instill the principles of diligence and hard work into him. Afterward, my father passed those same principles on to me.

Through the years, our family has been very devoted to any task we’ve been given, believing that we have a responsibility to do the best job possible for the people we are called to serve. Because of this work ethic that was instilled in me by my parents, I find laziness to be completely intolerable. I refuse to permit lazy people to be a part of my team!

This intolerance for laziness must also have been the attitude that Jesus felt about lazy people. In His parable of the talents, Jesus told us of a master who, before embarking on a long journey, entrusted his money into the hands of three servants. The master expected the servants to increase what he had given them. However, Matthew 25:19-23 tells us that when this master returned, he found that only the first two servants had increased what He had entrusted to them.

In verse 21, the Bible tells us the master returned and discovered that the first servant doubled his investment. When the master saw this increase, he said, “…Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” In verse 23, the master was similarly thrilled when he found out the second servant had doubled his investment as well: “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

But why did the master call their success a “few things”? Their accomplishment wasn’t small. In fact, it was huge. Yet the master said to the first two servants, “…Thou hast been faithful over a few things….” His words “over a few things” seem to indicate that what they had done wasn’t such a big deal after all. I’m sure the servants were dumbfounded. What did their master mean? Was he belittling what they had accomplished?

What the first two servants had achieved was fantastic, but it was just the beginning. They had proven themselves to be hardworking and capable. They had demonstrated responsibility. The master now knew they could be trusted with true riches. Because these two stewards had proven themselves faithful, the master saw a bright future ahead for them. As is always true with God, faithfulness resulted in promotion and greater responsibilities. The first two stewards had passed a test on a lower level. Now their master was satisfied to thrust them upward into even more monumental life assignments.

But when the master came to the third servant and saw that he had done nothing with the money given to him, he told the servant, “…Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury” (vv. 26,27).

It is obvious that this third servant was not ignorant of the master’s expectation. He knew that the master expected increase from him. In fact, he told them, “Thou knewest.” This means the third servant couldn’t pretend to be ignorant. He knew that the master expected him to do something significant with what had been entrusted to him.

This master would accept no excuses for a lack of increase. It didn’t matter how difficult the situation, how many odds were against his servants, or how impossible it seemed, the master still expected increase. His servants understood that this was his expectation. Thus, the servant who did nothing with his talent found himself in a horrible predicament.

His master called him, “Thou wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26). As if this isn’t bad enough, in Matthew 25:30 his master called him “the unprofitable servant.” Before we go any further, let’s stop to examine these words, for they vividly express Jesus’ personal sentiment toward people who possess great potential but never develop it due to laziness.

Let’s look first at Matthew 25:26, where Jesus calls the non-productive servant “thou wicked and slothful servant.” The words “wicked and slothful” are taken from the single Greek word okneros. This word means lazy or idle. It carries the idea of a person who has a do-nothing, lethargic, lackadaisical, apathetic, indifferent, lukewarm attitude toward life.

This is a strong word, chosen by the Holy Spirit to tell us how strongly Jesus feels about those who are apathetic and lethargic about their spiritual lives and life assignments. Jesus has no taste for lackadaisical people. People who are lukewarm about their God-given abilities or who are indifferent about their assignments leave a sickening taste in the Lord’s mouth. He loves the person, but He strongly dislikes the lazy attitudes that keep them from reaching their maximum potential.

In Matthew 25:30, Jesus continues by calling this non-productive servant “the unprofitable servant.” The word “unprofitable” is from the Greek word achreios, which literally means useless. A literal translation in today’s vernacular would be the good-for-nothing servant.

This word describes a person whose existence in life is absolutely pointless. He is an aimless, purposeless person who contributes nothing to life. This person’s value has never been realized because he does nothing but take up space on the face of the planet. But like everyone else, this person had a choice. He could have become something significant if he had used what was entrusted to him and had done what God asked him to do.

As I read these words of Jesus, it makes me personally thankful that my parents taught me good work ethics and ingrained in me the importance of doing a more than satisfactory job for anyone I am called to serve. This pertains to serving God, serving people, serving my congregation, or serving any purpose that is entrusted to my care. Jesus expects the best I can do. I know that if I do anything less than my best, I have not done what He expects of me. Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25 shouts this message to all of us!

Do you need to come up to a higher level by working on your work ethic? If so, make the decision to do so today. Jesus expects you to do the best you can do. Are you giving Him your best at church? Are you giving Him your best at the workplace, doing your job with the highest level of ability you possess? If Jesus came to evaluate your work, would He find it effective and satisfactory, or defective and lacking?

Never forget that Colossians 3:17 commands you: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Why don’t you take a few minutes today to ask Jesus to help you be better at your job, to give more effort than you’ve ever given before, and to help you adjust your attitude so you can become a high-level performer at whatever task is assigned to you? 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am sorry for any laziness that I’ve allowed in my life. Yes, I know I can do so much more than I’ve done. I haven’t applied myself with all my heart and strength; instead, I’ve permitted myself to slip by at a mediocre level. I have done enough to keep my job, but I haven’t done enough to deserve a promotion or a salary increase. Forgive me for complaining that I don’t make enough money when the truth is that I haven’t done my best work. I sincerely ask You to help me change my attitude and to increase my level of work performance.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am a good worker and that I have a great attitude! I am exactly the kind of person God can use and bless — and I am exactly the kind of employee that my employer is thrilled to have in his department, organization, or business. I work so hard and do such good work that I bring many blessings and benefits to those who are over me in authority. Because I am around, I make them look better! God rewards me for being faithful. My striving toward excellence today will lead to my promotion and financial increase tomorrow!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If Jesus were to come and personally inspect your attitude toward work and your actual work performance, what kind of evaluation do you think He would give you? (You may as well be honest, because Jesus is watching your attitude and your work all the time!)

2. If you were looking for someone to promote, would you want to promote someone who had an attitude like yours or who worked like you do? If your answer is yes, thank God for it! If your answer is no, why wouldn’t you want to promote someone like you?

3. What do you think are the top ten attitudes that make an employer so satisfied with an employee that he would want to promote him to a higher position? It would be a good idea to write down these “top ten attitudes” and then take some time to think about what you can do to better maintain these attitudes in your own life.

You Are No Accident, Because God Chose You!

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
— Ephesians 1:4

From time to time, someone says, “My parents didn’t plan me. I was an accident no one expected.” People use this as an excuse for not accepting more responsibility in life, claiming that they are accidents who came into the world by mistake and aren’t even supposed to be here!

Well, I want to tell you that even though we may have been a surprise to our parents, we were not a surprise to God! The Bible teaches that long before you or I were ever conceived in our mothers’ wombs, God already knew us and was calling us to be His children with a special purpose to fulfill in this world.

In Psalm 139:15 and 16, David declares that God’s eyes were fixed on us not only when we were in the earliest stages of being formed in our mother’s womb, but even before we were conceived. David said concerning himself (and us), “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

According to David, God knew us when we were nothing more than mere “substance” in the earliest stages of being formed in our mothers’ wombs. God was so intricately aware of us that He took note as our arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes were being formed. In fact, this verse says He even knew us “…when as yet there was none of them” in existence! Think of it! Long before we were conceived, God already knew of us — and by faith He could see us being conceived, formed, and born into this world. This means there isn’t a single human being on the earth who was a surprise to God, and that includes you!

Those of us who are believers were also saved by no accident. Paul writes, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.…” The word “chosen” in Greek is eklego — a compound of the words ek and lego. The word ek means out, and the word lego means I say. Together these words literally mean Out, I say! It can also mean to call out, to select, to elect, or to personally choose.

In classical Greek writings, this word eklego referred to a person or a group of people who were selected for a specific purpose. For example, the word eklego was used for the selection of men for military service. It was also used to denote soldiers who were chosen out of the entire military to go on a special mission or to do a special task. Finally, it was used for politicians who were elected by the general public to hold a public position or to execute a special job on behalf of the community.

In every case where the word eklego is used to portray the election or selection of individuals, it conveys the idea of the great privilege and honor of being chosen. It also strongly speaks of the responsibility placed on those who are chosen to walk, act, and live in a way that is honorable to their calling. Because of the great privilege of being elected to a higher position or selected to perform a special task, those who are “chosen” bear a responsibility to walk and act in accordance with the calling that has been extended to them. They should look upon themselves as chosen, honored, esteemed, and respected — special representatives of the one who elected them!

So when Paul says that God “…hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…,” he is saying that God looked out to the horizon of human history — and He saw us! And when God saw us, His voice echoed forth from Heaven: “Out, I say!” In that flash, our destinies were divinely sealed! We were separated by God from a lost and dying world, and He called us to be His own.

Just as the word eklego in classical Greek times depicted the military selection of young men to leave their homes and come serve in the military, God looked out at the human race and personally selected, elected, and specially chose us to come away from the world and be permanently enlisted as His sons and daughters! Now as children of the King, we bear the awesome responsibility of walking worthily of the high calling we have received!

Look at when this selection took place. Paul says it occurred “…before the foundation of the world….” The word “foundation” is the Greek word katabole, a compound of the words kata and bole. The word kata means down, and the word bole means to hurl or to throw. These two words together mean to forcibly hurl something down, and it refers to the act of creation.

Thus, before God ever spoke the earth into existence — before His booming voice ever called out for the first layers of the earth’s crust to be put into place — He had already spoken our names! He selected and elected us before the very first layers of the earth were created.

In light of these Greek meanings, Ephesians 1:4 could be phrased to read:

“When God saw us, He said, ‘Out, I say!’ In that moment, He separated us from the rest of the world and enlisted us in His service. And think of it! He did all of this before He ever hurled the first layers of the earth’s crust into existence….”

So if your flesh ever tries to rant and rave that you’re not worthy enough to be used or that you’re just an accident, you need to take authority over your flesh and tell it to shut its stupid mouth! Then you need to declare, “God chose me, and He planned a great future for me. He wants to use me. I’m not going to listen anymore to this foul garbage from my lying flesh and unrenewed emotions. I have an awesome destiny! In fact, I’m a significant part of God’s plan!”

Don’t listen to your filthy, stinking, lying, fibbing flesh anymore! God has been waiting for your arrival for a very long time! It’s time for you to accept His assignment and make the necessary changes to flow with His program. He’s calling out to you all the time, saying, “Get up and jump in the race! I want you. I’m calling you to be a part of My team.”

There is too much at stake for you to make the mistake of sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself. You’ll only begin to experience true significance when you accept the fact that God has chosen you, and when you begin to live up to the glorious calling He has placed on your life! No matter how large or small the task, no matter how big or tiny the assignment, joy and satisfaction will be yours when you start accomplishing what God brought you into this world to do.

This is what imparts true significance to any person’s life. No satisfaction compares with this satisfaction. Those who contribute nothing to life are usually the ones who struggle with a sense of purposelessness.

Even if you think your gifts are small in comparison to others, you can still use them! If you use the gifts God gave you, they will increase. And the more proficient you become at using those gifts, the more valuable you will become to your family, your church, your business, and your friends. On the other hand, you will cause your life to be inconsequential if you ignore the gifts God gave you and minimize the life assignment He has entrusted to you.

A person’s life becomes pointless when he or she contributes nothing to the world. Don’t let that describe YOUR life! God didn’t bring you into the world so you would live a pointless and inconsequential life! He has a purpose for your life. He wants to use you! He wants you to be a significant part of His plan!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so glad that You knew me and called me even before I was conceived in my mother’s womb. According to Your Word, I am no mistake; therefore, I ask You to help me start looking  at my life with respect, esteem, and honor. You called me, and You have an awesome plan for my life. I ask You to help me uncover that plan so I can get started on the road of obedience toward the fulfillment of what You brought me into this world to do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that I am no accident and no mistake! God knew me before the earth was created; He called me before I was formed in my mother’s womb; and He has long awaited my arrival on planet earth! God has a plan for me! I am purposeful; I am respectful of myself; and I walk in a way that honors the One who called and anointed me to be enlisted in His service!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever been tempted to think that your life was pointless and inconsequential? What happens in your life most often that triggers these negative emotions?

2. Can you think of a time when you were supernaturally illuminated to the call of God on your life? When that happened, what did you understand was the chief purpose that God had for you in this lifetime?

3. If you have been struggling with feelings of purposelessness or of inferiority toward other people, what are you going to do to stop these negative emotions from affecting you in an adverse way?