Dealing with Wrong Attitudes the Right Way
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
—James 1:21
Today I would like to draw your attention to the words “lay apart” in the verse above. These words are taken from the Greek word apotithimi, a compound of the words apo and tithimi. The word apo means away, and the word tithimi means to place or to lay something down. When these two words are compounded together, it gives a picture of someone who is laying something down at the same time he is pushing it far away from himself. Therefore, this compound word means to lay something down and to push it far away and beyond reach.
An example would be a person who is about to sinfully indulge in eating too much pie but suddenly realizes what he is doing. So instead of diving into the extra piece of pie and eating it, he chooses instead to lay it back down on the table; then he deliberately shoves it away from himself lest he should overindulge one time too many! He lays it down, and he pushes it away. This is the idea of the word apotithimi James uses when he tells us to “lay apart” all filthiness in our lives. But there is another very important meaning to this word in the New Testament!
In New Testament times, the word apotithimi was frequently used to describe someone taking off his dirty clothes at the end of the day. How do you deal with your dirty clothes at the end of the day? You take them off and put them away in the clothes hamper! Now James uses this illustration to explain how you must deal with wrong attitudes and actions in your own life. Just as you wouldn’t go to bed in dirty clothes at night, neither should you go to bed with wrong attitudes. You must deal with them like an old set of filthy clothes. You have to decide to get rid of those bad attitudes!
James 1:21 could be interpreted to mean:
“You must make the choice to remove those filthy, stinking garments from your life, to permanently lay them down and then deliberately push them out of your range forever.…”
Also, it’s important to realize that dirty clothes don’t fall off your body by accident! To get them off, you have to push the buttons through the button holes, unzip the zipper, and slip the clothes off your arms and legs one piece at a time. Dirty clothes don’t automatically come off just because you realize they are dirty. They will come off only if you do something to remove them! This is exactly what James has in mind when he tells us to “lay apart” all filthiness from our lives.
When James says to “lay apart” all filthiness from our lives, he is telling us to first acknowledge what is wrong and then to take appropriate measures to remove those areas from our lives. If you are going to get free and stay free, it won’t happen by accident. You must start taking steps to remove those negative things from your life — to lay them down and push them so far away that you’ll never be able to reach them again!
Are you struggling with a sin today? Does a wrong attitude keep trying to conquer your life? If so, you must begin to look at that sin or wrong attitude like an old set of filthy clothes that isn’t worthy for you to wear anymore. Make the decision to step out of every destructive area of your life that has held you captive. Once you make that decision, the Holy Spirit will give you the power to carry it out!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me step out of the sins and bad attitudes that have held me captive for so long. Help me know the right steps to take to remove these destructive and unworthy things from my life. You want me to be free, and I desire to be free. With Your help, I know I can be permanently set free from these negative things, stepping out of them and pushing them so far away that I will never pick them up again!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
The Word of God reveals those areas in my life that are unclean and that need to change. Rather than act like a victim who cannot do anything about myself or my circumstance, today I start the process of acknowledging my sin and removing these attitudes, actions, and sins that are unworthy of the new creation I am today in Christ. I can be free, and I will be free. I will be ALL that God intended for me to be!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you recognize wrong attitudes or patterns of behavior in your life that you know need to change?
2. Are you willing to make the necessary adjustments to walk free from the sins, attitudes, habits, and bondages that have been clinging to you?
3. If your answer is yes, what steps do you need to take to start walking toward your freedom?
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit!
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
— Ephesians 4:30
Many years ago, when I first studied the word “grieve” in Ephesians 4:30, I ran to my bookshelf and pulled out my Greek New Testament to discover exactly what the word “grieve” meant. I found that this word was taken from the Greek word lupete. This surprised me, because the word lupete is from the word lupe, which denotes a pain or grief that can only be experienced between two people who deeply love each other.
This word lupe would normally be used to picture a husband or wife who has discovered his or her mate has been unfaithful. As a result of this unfaithfulness, the betrayed spouse is shocked, devastated, hurt, wounded, and grieved because of the pain that accompanies unfaithfulness.
This tells us, first of all, that the relationship that exists between us and the Holy Spirit is precious! The Holy Spirit is deeply in love with us. Just as someone in love thinks about, dreams of, and cherishes the one he loves, the Holy Spirit longs for us, thinks about us, desires to be close to us, and wants to reveal Himself to us.
But when we act like the world, talk like the world, behave like the world, and respond the same way the world does, we cause the Spirit of God to feel shock, hurt, and grief. You see, when we deliberately do what is wrong, we drag Him right into the mire of sin with us, because He lives in us and goes wherever we go.
The Holy Spirit convicted us of sin and brought us to Jesus; then He indwelt us, sanctified us, empowered us, and faithfully remains alongside to help us. So when we deliberately enter into sin, it grieves Him. Just as a husband or wife would feel who has just discovered that his or her spouse has committed adultery, the Holy Spirit is shocked when we dishonor His Presence in our lives.
One scholar has translated Ephesians 4:30 in the following way:
“Stop deeply wounding and causing such extreme emotional pain to the Spirit of God, by whom you have been sealed until the day of your redemption.”
We need to realize how precious the Holy Spirit is in our lives and honor Him by making sure we live holy and upright lives. If our behavior has been wrong, we should confess our sin and receive cleansing by the blood of Jesus so we can be restored to fellowship with the Spirit of God.
So before you get started with your daily duties today, stop and ask, “Holy Spirit, is there anything in my life that causes You grief? If there is, please reveal it to me so I can change.”
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to forgive me for allowing attitudes and actions in my life that are dishonoring to You. I want to please You more than ever before, so I ask You to help me recognize those negative things in my life that cause You pain. Help me to permanently walk free of them. From the depths of my heart, I thank You for all You have done inside me. Starting right now, I want to live every moment of my life with the intent to please You and to never cause You grief again.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
Starting today, I make the choice to walk away from everything in my life that is displeasing and desecrating to the Holy Spirit’s Presence within me. I walk away from every negative thought, word, and deed that has tried to operate in me and that is dishonoring to Him. I turn the other direction to walk a new walk and talk a new talk that shows respect and love for the Spirit of God who dwells inside me.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Are there any wrong attitudes or actions in your life that grieve the Holy Spirit? If so, write them down and then pray about them.
2. Are there any relationships in your life that have a negative effect on your relationship with the Lord?
3. For you to get right and stay right with God, what changes do you need to make in your life?
How Often Should We Pray?
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
—Ephesians 6:18
How is your prayer life? Is prayer a central and significant part of your life, or is it something you only do when you are with other believers? Is prayer a daily discipline for you, or do you mainly pray when you get in trouble? Do you pray when you are home alone, or do you find that you pray and worship the Lord only when you come to church and are in the presence of other worshiping and praying people?
To pray regularly requires discipline. Unfortunately, most people are “on-again, off-again” when it comes to prayer. They are faithful for a while, but then they fall out of prayer because they are too tired to get up early, or they become distracted by other things.
But how often are we supposed to pray? Ephesians 6:18 gives us the answer! It says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
The word “always” is taken from the Greek phrase en panti kairo. The word en would be better translated at. The word panti means each and every. You could say that this word panti is an all-encompassing word that embraces everything, including the smallest and most minute of details. The last word in this Greek phrase is the word kairo, the Greek word for times or seasons. When all three of these words are used together in one phrase (en panti kairo) as in Ephesians 6:18, they could be more accurately translated at each and every occasion.
Ephesians 6:18 conveys this idea:
“Pray anytime there’s an opportunity — no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Use every occasion, every season, every possible moment to pray….”
This clearly tells us that prayer is not optional for the Christian who is serious about his or her spiritual life. According to this scripture, believers are to make prayer a top priority. Yet, unfortunately, prayer is largely disregarded by the average Christian today.
If prayer isn’t a priority in your life right now, why not make it a priority starting today? You might say, “But I don’t have time to pray.” You have time to do whatever you really want to do. If it’s truly in your heart to pray, you can find the time. And if your schedule is as busy as you think it is, take Ephesians 6:18 to heart. Grab any available time you can find, and make it your prayer time. Why not start this day out right? Make a quality decision to make prayer your first order of business!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me become consistent in prayer. I admit that other things have distracted me from being in Your Presence, but I ask You to forgive me for this and to give me the strength to say no to those things that keep pulling me away from time in prayer. Thank You for helping me to make this a high priority in my life. I know that with Your help, I can learn to discipline myself to pray. Thank You for helping me get started on the right path today!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
With God’s help, I have the power to say no to the distractions that keep trying to steal my time with God. Prayer is a top priority in my life; therefore, I am consistent and habitual in my prayer time. Nothing is a higher priority than the time I spend every day with God. From this moment onward, I will be as faithful as can be when it comes to this issue of prayer!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you been “on-again, off-again” in your prayer life? What keeps distracting you from being consistent in your prayer life?
2. What type of event in your life consistently jolts you out of prayerlessness and into a time of praying?
3. What changes do you need to make in your life or environment to assure that your prayer life becomes disciplined and consistent?
Isn’t it Time for You to Hit the Rewind Button?
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
— 2 Timothy 1:6
Have you ever experienced the delivering and rescuing power of God? I’m talking about those moments when your situation looks completely hopeless — but suddenly God’s amazing grace intervenes and your situation is miraculously changed! Can you think of moments like this in your past?
It’s amazing that when we are confronted with a new challenge, we often fail to remember God’s faithfulness in the past. Our perspective gets blurry because of the problems we are currently facing, and we forget that we’ve gone through similar or worse circumstances before. The looming mountain of problems before us looks so big that we momentarily fail to remember all the other mountains we’ve already faced and overcome with the help of God.
When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, the younger man was facing the biggest mountain of his life. Nero had become the emperor of the Roman Empire. Because of his tyrannical rule, believers were being persecuted and were even dying for their faith. In the midst of all the panic, Timothy was tempted to fear for his life and his future. He must have wondered, Is God going to be faithful to me in this terrible hour?
So in Second Timothy 1:5, Paul tells Timothy, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Paul wanted to remind Timothy about something very important!
God’s faithfulness was a part of Timothy’s family heritage. His grandmother trusted the Lord —and the Lord had never failed her or let her down. His mother trusted the Lord — and the Lord had never failed her or let her down either. Because Timothy was dealing with great stress and difficulty, Paul took the opportunity to remind him that just as God had never failed his grandmother or mother, neither would He abandon Timothy in his difficult hour.
Then Paul told him, “…I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). I want you to particularly focus on the phrase, “I put thee in remembrance.” It is taken from the Greek word anamimnesko, a compound of the words ana and mimnesko. Pay close attention, because this is very important! The word ana means again or to repeat something. The second part of the word mimnesko means to be reminded of something, such as memories.
When these two words are joined together as in this verse, it means to regather or to recollect memories. The little prefix ana carries the idea of replaying these memories over and over again in your mind, the way you would hit the rewind button on your video player so you can back up and watch one part of a movie over and over again.
This means there are some memories we should never forget! For example, we should constantly hit the rewind button in our minds and “replay” the times that God has been faithful to us in the past — delivering us, healing us, and rescuing us time and time again. We should “replay” those scenes in our minds until we never forget His faithfulness to us!
You could translate Second Timothy 1:6 in the following way:
“I am putting you in memory of all these things, so that by your remembering them, you might stir up the gift of God that is in you….”
Paul reminds Timothy (and us) to take our eyes off these times of trouble or the present crisis and to remember God’s delivering and rescuing power in the past. If we really looked at our past, we’d find that we have faced other moments more severe than the one we’re facing right now — and God never failed us or let us down. In fact, He delivered us and turned those situations around!
Don’t ever forget what God has already done for you, for those memories will stir you up and encourage you to face your present dilemma with faith. Just as God has always been faithful to you in the past, He will be faithful to you right now.
Never forget how:
- God has healed you.
- God has delivered you.
- God has saved you.
- God has guided and directed you.
- God has brought you through difficult trials.
- God has provided for you during hard financial times.
- God has protected you from the snare of the enemy.
These kinds of memories are powerful and will stir up your faith today!
So the next time the devil tells you there is no way you’ll survive what you’re facing, take the time to get alone with the Lord. Then hit the rewind button, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you regather and recollect all those past events when God came through for you! As you replay those memories over and over in your mind, your faith will rise to a new level of confidence. You’ll be able to look your problems right in the face and say, “God’s record with me has always been faithfulness, and I know He’ll be faithful to me now as well!”
My Prayer for Today
Lord, You have always been faithful. I thank You that even in my present situation, You are going to be faithful again. Please help me recall all the times in the past when You delivered and rescued me from other situations that also looked hopeless. Thank You for helping me keep those awesome experiences alive and fresh in my mind and heart. I thank You for always being faithful to me!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that God has never failed me or let me down. He has always delivered me from difficult times, and He will rescue and deliver me now as well. Today I will dwell on those past moments when God did for me what everyone thought was impossible! Just as He intervened on my behalf in the past, He will intervene on my behalf again! I will not succumb to fear, doubt, or failure. With God’s help, I will conquer what the enemy meant for my downfall and defeat!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. As you think about God’s faithfulness in your life, how does it affect the way you perceive the problems you are dealing with right now?
2. What are some of the seemingly impossible situations you faced in the past that God delivered you from?
3. What steps can you take to trust God more fully to deliver you from your present situation as He has done for you in the past?
Could You Use a Little Extra Strength To Make It Through Your Day?
For I Know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
— Philippians 1:19
At times everyone gets physically tired and mentally exhausted. However, some believers, regardless of how long or how hard they work, seem to have the knack, fortitude, determination, and will to keep going strong, even when everyone else can barely take one more step.
Have you ever met someone like this? Have you wondered, How in the world can that person keep going the way he does?
Could it be that this person has learned how to tap into a supernatural Source of power? Well, the same inexhaustible supply of power is available to you! In Philippians 1:19, Paul talked about this kind of power: “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
I especially want you to notice the word “supply” in this verse. It is the Greek word epichoregeo. To those who read Greek, this word seems like a strange choice for Paul. However, after reflecting on the original usage of this word, it makes this verse very exciting! The word epichoregeo is an old word that literally means on behalf of the choir. I know this sounds peculiar, so let me explain where this word came from and why Paul uses it here.
Thousands of years ago in classical Greece, a huge choral and dramatic company practiced endlessly for a huge, important theatrical performance. After they put in a great amount of time, effort, energy, and practice, it was finally time for the show to go on the road. But there was one major problem — they ran out of money!
These people had given their lives to this production. They had committed all their resources to making sure the performance succeeded. But because they ran out of financing, it meant the show was over — finished! They were washed up before the show ever officially got started. From all appearances, it was the end of the road for them and their dream.
At that exact moment, a wealthy man heard of their crisis, stepped into the middle of their situation, and made a huge financial contribution on behalf of the choir. This contribution “supplied” all they needed to get back in business again! In fact, the gift the man gave was so enormous that it was more than they needed or knew how to spend! This man’s contribution was excessively large, abundant, overflowing, and overwhelming.
This is where we get the word “supply” in Philippians 1:19 that now describes the enormous contribution of the Spirit that Jesus Christ wants to give to you and me!
In light of this, Philippians 1:19 could be taken to mean:
“I am certain that this situation will ultimately turn around and result in my deliverance.
I’m sure of it — first, because you are praying for me; and second, because of the
special contribution of the Spirit that Jesus Christ is donating for my present cause.”
This means when you’ve run out of steam; when you’ve given your best effort and you don’t feel like you have another ounce of energy left to give; when it looks like your resources are drained and you are unable to take one more step unless someone steps in to help you — that is exactly the moment when Jesus Christ becomes your personal Benefactor! Like the wealthy man in the story above, Jesus steps into your life at that moment to donate a massive, overwhelming, generous contribution of the Spirit’s grace and power for your cause!
Jesus is your wealthy Benefactor. He has more strength and power to give you than you’ll ever be able to use! If you are weak, He has precisely what you need to get up, get recharged, and get going again! If you’ll open your heart to Him right now, Jesus will give you a brand-new contribution of the Spirit’s power — and it will be more than enough to get you on your feet and back on the road again!
So when your natural human will is too tired to keep going and you’ve exhausted all your resources, let Jesus reinforce you with a new “supply of the Spirit” that will give you all the strength you will ever need. Just open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s help today. Allow Him to fill you with a supply of power so large, you could never even begin to use it all!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I realize I don’t have enough strength by myself to do what You have asked me to do. Today I’m asking You to donate a new supply of Your Spirit into my life. Right now, I open my heart and ask You to fill every nook and cranny of my life with the power of the Holy Spirit so I can get back on my feet again and fulfill what You have told me to do!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare by faith that I am refilled and recharged with the Spirit of God. There is no lack of strength in me because Jesus continuously provides a huge supply of the Spirit in my life that empowers me to achieve everything I need to do. There is no excuse for me to fail or to stop short of the goals God has given me for my life, because in the Spirit of God there is enough supernatural strength and power to energize me to finish my divine assignment!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you ever run into times in your life when you feel like you’ve hit a wall and you
can’t go any further?
2. How do you normally respond to times like these?
3. Compare the results of your past responses to these difficult times to what would happen if you took the time to talk to Jesus about your need for supernatural strength.
Let God’s Peace Serve as an Umpire for Your Mind and Emotions!
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
— Colossians 3:15
Have you ever had one of those days when there was so much confusion whirling around your head that you felt like screaming, “STOP”?
From time to time, everyone has that kind of a day. And when you do, your temptation is probably either to get in the flesh and react to someone in an ugly way or to get depressed, go to bed, and forget about it all. However, you know that neither choice will help you solve the problems you are facing.
Rather than throw in the towel and give way to these emotions that want to get the best of you, why not stop right now and make a decision to let the Word of God rule you today? When I say “rule” you, I’m talking about God’s supernatural peace dominating and governing every emotion and situation that confronts you. If you don’t make this decision and follow through with it, worry, fear, insecurity, doubt, and a whole host of other emotions will assuredly try to take control. And there is no worse roller-coaster ride than when you are being knocked all over the place by emotions that are out of control!
Instead, let the peace of God rule in your heart, as Paul wrote in Colossians 3:15. He said, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” I especially want you to notice the word “rule” in this verse. It is from the Greek word brabeuo, which in ancient times was used to describe the umpire or referee who moderated and judged the athletic competitions that were so popular in the ancient world. Paul uses this word to tell us that the peace of God can work like an umpire or referee in our hearts, minds, and emotions. When detrimental emotions attempt to exert control over us or try to throw us into an emotional frenzy, we can stop it from happening by making the choice to let God’s peace rise up from deep inside us like an umpire or referee to moderate our emotions. As we do, we will be kept under the control of that divine peace as it rules in our hearts. When this divine umpire called “peace” steps into the game, it suddenly begins to call the shots and make all the decisions instead of fretfulness, anxiety, and worry.
Colossians 3:15 could be translated:
“Let the peace of God call the shots in your life.” “Let the peace of God be the umpire in your life and actions.” “Let the peace of God act as referee in your emotions and your decisions.”
Even though it’s true that everyone has hard days and difficult weeks, you don’t have to surrender to those emotions that try to steal your joy, disturb your relationships, and rob you of your victory. When you feel overwhelmed by problems or emotions that are hitting you from every direction, just stop a moment and deliberately set your heart and mind on Jesus and the Word of God. As you do this, the wonderful, conquering, dominating, supernatural peace of God will rise up from your spirit and take control!
My Prayer For Today
Lord, I don’t want to let my emotions get the best of me today, so I ask that Your peace would rise up like a mighty umpire and referee in my heart, mind, and emotions. Help me recognize those moments when unhelpful emotions try to sneak up on me. I ask You to teach me how to put those emotions aside and release Your supernatural peace that is resident in my heart – the peace that is always ready at every moment to moderate every thought and emotion that tries to pass into my life!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession For Today
I confess that God’s supernatural peace dominates me. When I am tempted to get upset and my emotions try to take control of me, I put these emotions aside and allow the Spirit of God to release a supernatural, dominating, moderating peace to rule my heart, mind, and emotions!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions To Answer
1. Do you recognize moments when your emotions try to throw you into an emotional tizzy and steal your peace and joy?
2. Have you asked God to help you overcome these moments?
A Special Message About Living in the Last Days
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
— 2 Timothy 1:7
This is the greatest hour for the Church of Jesus Christ. A massive harvest is coming into the Church all over the world. Statistics prove that right now more people are coming to Jesus worldwide than at any other point in history. The Spirit of God is swinging the Gospel sickle, and millions upon millions of souls are being swept into the Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord! This is one of the greatest signs in evidence today that we are near to the coming of Jesus.
But right in the midst of all this, events have occurred throughout the earth that have shaken the nations of the world and filled men’s hearts with fear. I am convinced that part of this worldwide assault has been the devil’s attempt to put believers in fear so they will retreat from this worldwide Gospel advance. Although we need to be wise and do what we can to protect ourselves in times such as these, we do not need to react in fear. Fear is never the answer, for it results in blurred thinking and bad decisions.
God’s Word promises us a sound mind if we will claim it. When Timothy was facing hard times, Paul told him, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
This verse says that God has given us a “sound mind.” This comes from the Greek word sophroneo, and it is a compound of the words sozo and phroneo. The word sozo is the Greek word for salvation. It means deliverance, protection, and soundness. The word phroneo is the root for the word mind. When these two words are put together as in this verse, the new word is translated sound mind. The idea presented by the word sophroneo is a mind that is saved and protected or a mind that is sound. It is just the opposite of a mind given to fear, panic, or unfounded and unreasonable thinking. This word describes a mind that is thinking correctly!
Because God has given us a “sound mind,” we can think correctly about how to live in these last days — a time that Second Timothy 3:1 predicts will be “perilous.” The word “perilous” in that verse is the Greek word chalepos, and it literally means something that is difficult, dangerous, or filled with risk. This is a prophetic warning to let us know that those who live in the very last of the last days will be confronted with a strange period of time like mankind has never seen before. It will be a time filled with difficulty, danger, and risk.
In this last Sparkling Gem of the year, I want to give you what Denise and I believe is a sensible approach to living in these last days. To ensure that we are doing all we can to remain in the blessings of God, these are the steps my wife and I apply to our own lives. These are the Holy Spirit’s orders to Denise and me, and now I am passing them on to you as they’ve been given to us.
Living in the last days requires that we have a greater sensitivity to the Spirit of God. Romans 8:14 declares that one of the privileges of being a son of God is that the Spirit of God leads us. The word “led” is the Greek word ago. It is the picture of someone extending his hand to you so he can gently lead you.
In these last days, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit will lead us only if we give Him this right. Oh, how many times the Spirit of God has wanted to be our Leader, but we went our own way and ultimately suffered the consequences! He knew exactly how to lead us past every attack. He knew how to avoid each strategy of the devil.
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “…shew you things to come” (John 16:13). The word “shew” is the Greek word odegeo and is the word for a guide who shows a traveler the safest course through an unknown country. This means the Holy Spirit is our Guide. He knows the way we should go. He understands how to avoid every trap and obstacle along the way. When we are going into an area we’ve never been before, the Holy Spirit wants to show us how to take the safest route. He knows exactly how to get us safely to our future point of destination.
The Holy Spirit often stopped Jesus from going to certain regions because the Jews were waiting to trap Him. To avoid these traps, the Holy Spirit would guide Jesus another way. The Spirit also warned Paul not to go to certain places for the same reason. Also in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit warned the Early Church in advance about persecution, famine, and other trials.
The Holy Spirit knows the future and wants to enlighten us with all the information we need in every situation. This is part of His ministry to you and me.
If the Holy Spirit speaks to you and tells you to do something specific, then obey Him! Do you remember when the death angel passed through Egypt and took the firstborn of all the Egyptians? The reason Israel was unaffected was that the Israelites obeyed the instructions God gave them to put blood on the doorposts of their houses. They brushed that lamb’s blood on the doors of their homes just as God had ordered. Later when the death angel came, he passed by every home where he saw blood on the doorposts. In the end, not one of the Israelites was touched!
But what if Israel had disregarded God’s instructions and tried to protect themselves another way? Would their efforts have worked? Of course not. God told them how to be protected. All they had to do was obey. If they did what God told them, they were guaranteed protection and blessing. They were untouched because they walked in obedience. Weeping, crying, and mourning were heard in Egypt, but not in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived. They found protection in their obedience to the Word of God.
As we obey the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we will have wisdom to know every step we need to take in the days ahead. All we have to do is obey God’s instructions, and He guarantees us blessing and provision even in difficult times. But if we try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for us to claim. We must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection.
As a spiritual leader and friend, I want to encourage you to increase your level of faith, especially if you are facing challenging times. Stand on the Word of God; exercise your faith; listen to the Holy Spirit; and obey what He tells you to do. As you do these things, God’s supernatural blessings will kick into action, and you will soon find a river of supernatural provision flowing to you.
There is no doubt that we are living in some of the most challenging days the world has ever seen. But you can face these times victoriously because God has given you a sound mind; He has given you the promises of His Word; and He has given you the leadership of His Spirit. Never has there been a more crucial time for you to operate in faith and not fear and to believe for a mighty move of God to take place on this earth!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, as an end-time believer, I need to be filled with faith and not with fear. Help me to fill my heart with Your Word, to stand on Your promises, to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to exercise my faith more than ever before! I know that fear has blurred my thinking in times past, but it will NOT have any place in my life from this day forward! Instead, I release my faith and confidently expect to be a partaker in the last and greatest harvest of souls ever to be reaped for the Kingdom of God! Holy Spirit, help me rise to the occasion as I become an instrument God can use in these last days.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am filled with faith and not fear, and that I am excited to live in these last days. God has chosen for me to live in some of the most challenging days the world has ever seen, but I will face these times victoriously. He has given me a sound mind, the promises of His Word, and the leadership of His Spirit. Therefore, I will NOT retreat in fear or panic; instead, I am believing to be a part of the mightiest harvest of souls that history has ever seen!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you listen to the Holy Spirit when He nudges your heart and gives you direction?
2. As the calendar turns and the New Year begins, what instructions has the Holy Spirit already given you regarding the next twelve months?
3. Are you spending time with the Lord so He can speak to your heart? What changes do you need to make in your life so you can spend more quality time with the Lord during the next year?
Spiritual Rest
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
— Matthew 11:28
I am convinced that one reason the devil has access to people’s emotions is that they keep flying through life without taking time to get renewed in the Presence of the Lord. They ignore their need to sit, to rest, and to wait upon the Lord. As a result, their perception of things around them gets blurred. Doing too much at too fast of a pace has worn them down, causing them to lose their focus and affecting their ability to see things the way they really are.
I know exactly what it’s like to move at such a fast pace — to get the adrenaline flowing and then keep it flowing like a river for days at a time. When you’re moving that fast, it’s difficult to stop when you finally try to sit down and rest because your adrenaline is still racing. You may be sitting down physically, but you’re still running emotionally!
There’s a big problem with moving so fast. The demands of our schedule — job, family, church, friendships, and so forth — start piling up, each overlaying the other as we race from place to place. When this happens, we start becoming ineffective in every area of life. We’re just trying to do too much, too fast. Eventually our busyness leads to a breakdown of everything. The body suffers. The mind suffers. The work suffers because we’re too tired to perform at 100 percent and therefore can’t do our job to our full potential. This then results in our having to battle feelings of condemnation for not doing a better job!
Let’s face it — it’s extremely difficult to do everything simultaneously. You may be able to swing it for a while, but in time, you’ll start missing important details, forgetting what you said, missing appointments, messing up in your finances, and even getting emotional over unemotional issues because you’ve pushed yourself beyond your limit. If this is you, slow down and set aside some time to spend with the Lord.
I have to admit that sometimes I also fall into the trap of doing too many things too fast. At times, I feel like a locomotive that is racing down the track! It’s not that I want to move so fast, but to get it all done correctly, I have to keep moving and stay on schedule. If I delay in one area, it throws everything else off schedule and creates a schedule crisis for many others in the ministry. For everyone else to do their jobs effectively, it means I must stay on schedule and keep on track every day of my life.
In moments when I feel overwhelmed, I hear Jesus speak to my spirit and say, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Notice that Jesus begins this verse, “Come unto me.…” This is from the Greek word deute, and it is a greeting that literally means, “Come — come now! I am inviting you to come!” In Greek, it has the feeling of an exclamation, which lets us know that Jesus joyfully welcomes us to come to Him.
Jesus then says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour.…” This implies that Jesus’ invitation to come to Him is a special invitation directed to those who “labour.” The word “labour” in Greek is from the word kopiao, which describes a person who has become completely exhausted due to nonstop, continuous work. This is obviously a person who has a lot of responsibility and is doing his best to do it all in a professional and excellent fashion. In order to do everything that is on his plate, this person is required to work hard all the time. That’s why Jesus beckons this person to come to Him!
And Jesus doesn’t beckon only the hard worker; He also calls out to those who are “heavy laden.” These words are from the word phortidzo, depicting a person who is carrying a very heavy load on his back. Perhaps this load is his job, his family, his financial situation, or some personal burden. Regardless of what it is, Jesus pleads for the “heavy laden” person to come to Him!
To anyone who responds to this invitation and comes to Jesus, He promises that He will give them “rest.” The word “rest” is the Greek word anapauo, the word that means to refresh, to rejuvenate, to reinvigorate, or to revitalize. You see, the Lord wants to refresh us so we can keep doing what He has called us to do. He wants us to be refilled so we can remain effective.
The only way we can remain continually effective is by making sure we spend time with the Lord. But in order to truly enter His Presence so we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, we must first quiet ourselves by getting away from the commotion of life and finding a quiet place to worship, pray, and read the Word. That’s the only way we can quiet our soul enough to be able to hear God’s voice speaking to our inner man. To think that we are going to run into the Lord’s Presence and get everything we need in the space of five minutes just isn’t realistic. We must schedule time to be alone with God.
Don’t just run in and run out of the Lord’s Presence. Plan to settle down and stay there long enough to get everything you need to carry on! Once you’ve stopped long enough to really rest in His Presence, you’re finally in a position where you can start receiving from Him. Don’t move too fast. Don’t leave until you receive the refreshing you need. Just hang around in God’s Presence as long as you possibly can! Tarry there awhile, and let the Holy Spirit give you peace, joy, strength, and direction.
Learn to rest in God’s Presence. You see, there is a quiet place in Him, a place of refreshing, where you will find comfort, peace, and protection — every time. This is why Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t say He will come to you. He says that you must choose to go to Him! But if you will make the deliberate choice to wait upon the Lord, Jesus promises that you will find this promised rest!
This is your key to remaining steadfast and strong enough to keep on schedule and to stay on track with everything you need to do. And I promise you — if you will wait long enough in His Presence, He will speak to your heart to let you know if all your activities are ordained of Him or if there are some obligations or activities you need to eliminate.
Spending time with the Lord is not an option — it is the answer! So come into the Presence of God and allow Him to refresh you. As you do, the Holy Spirit will release His resurrection power and you will be quickened in your physical body. You will be strengthened, refreshed, recharged, and supernaturally empowered by God so you can get back out there with a fresh perspective and new energy to finish what you have started!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I know that You have been calling out to me, beckoning me to spend time with You. But I’ve been so busy that I haven’t made time in my schedule to come to You. Today I am making the choice to put everything else aside and to make my time with You the top priority in my day. I need Your strength; I need Your fellowship; I need Your tender touch; and I need to hear Your voice. Spirit of God, my schedule is very full, and I need special strength to make it through this busy time. So I am coming to You today to be refreshed so I can carry on!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that the only way I can remain continually effective is to spend time with the Lord. I will therefore quiet myself from the commotion of life and get into the Presence of Jesus. I will settle down and plan to stay there long enough to get everything I need from Him. Staying in His Presence is not an option! It is my key to remaining steadfast and strong enough to keep on schedule and to stay on track with everything I need to do. The Holy Spirit will release His resurrection power in me, and I will be strengthened, refreshed, recharged, and empowered by God. Then I can get back out there with a fresh perspective and new energy to finish what I’ve started!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. When do you regularly spend time with the Lord? Is your time with Him more important to you than all the other things that you’re scheduled to accomplish? If your time with Him really is that important, is there a reason you haven’t planned it into your schedule?
2. When you spend time with the Lord, how long do you usually stay in His Presence? What do you do when you are there with Him? Do you read your Bible, pray, sing songs of worship?
3. How can you rework your schedule to make sure your time with God is the top priority? Why don’t you look at your calendar and see what you can move around in order to accommodate your time with Jesus?
Your Flesh Will Obey Your Commands!
…If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
— Luke 17:6
Jesus said that when you finally decide to deal with the wrong attitudes that have stalked and hounded your life for so long, you must order them to “…be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea…” (Luke 17:6).
The words “plucked up by the root” are from the Greek word ekridzoo, which is a compound of the words ek and ridzo. The word ek means out, and the word ridzo is the Greek word for a root, like the roots of a plant. When joined into one word, the compound word means to rip out by the roots.
This is not a person who hopes the plant will be removed but does nothing to make it happen. Quite the contrary! This is the picture of a person who wraps his hands around the base of that plant, pulls with all his might, and rips the roots of that plant right out of the ground. He has made the determination that he is not going to stop until the ground he stands on is totally free from the roots of that nasty plant so that it will never produce life there again!
That’s the way you have to deal with wrong attitudes that have been deeply rooted in your soul for a long time. I guarantee you that if those attitudes have been at work in you for a long time, they are now deeply rooted in the way you think and behave. At this point, the only way they are going to be ripped out of your soul is by your determined choice to do whatever is necessary to rip them out. There can be no accidental deliverance from these attitudes. If your heart is to be liberated, it will only happen as you choose to be liberated and then do something about it!
Once you’ve ripped those attitudes out of the soil of your soul, the Lord Jesus said that we need to command them to “be planted in the sea.” The word “planted” is from the Greek word phuteuo, which would normally describe the planting of a plant. However, plants are not normally planted in the sea, so Jesus must have had something else in mind by using this word. The word phuteuo in this verse means to be permanently relocated to the “sea.”
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus said you have to command wrong attitudes to be planted in the sea? Why didn’t He tell us to throw them into the garbage pile? Why did Jesus say to permanently relocate those wrong attitudes in the sea?
The sea is made of salt water. Salt water won’t allow a plant to grow because the salt would kill the roots. So once a plant or tree is thrown into the seawater, it becomes a dead issue. No matter how hard you try, that plant will never grow again. Its life is gone forever! If you planted it in the garbage pile, it could reestablish its roots and grow again. But by throwing it into the sea, you have plunged those wrong attitudes into a place where they will never grow, never re-root, and never produce life again. Once in the sea, they are dead forever!
This is so very important in the context of this verse, for it tells us that Jesus doesn’t want us to be just temporarily relieved of these destructive attitudes; He wants us to be permanently freed of them. He wants them to become dead issues that never stalk or hound us again.
This is precisely how you have to look at the dead issues that you’ve spoken to and commanded to go. Once you’ve told bitterness and unforgiveness to leave, don’t ever allow them to take root in your life again! Even if your flesh would like to dwell on those old hurts again, don’t allow that bitter tree to come back to life! Bury it in the sea of forgetfulness so its roots can never regain a foothold in your soul.
Jesus told us to say to the sycamine tree, “Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” Notice the last phrase, “…and it should obey you.” The word “obey” is the Greek word hupakouo, which means to submit and to obey.
Your out-of-control emotions are just like an out-of-control child. That child will rant, rave, and carry on all day long until you finally stand up and tell him to straighten up and act right! In the same way, the flesh will pout, throw a temper tantrum, and carry on to a ridiculous extent — until you finally decide that enough is enough! When you make that choice to rise up, speak to your emotions, and exert your authority in Jesus Christ, your flesh WILL obey your commands!
- If you don’t take authority over your flesh and emotions, they will continue to dominate and hound you.
- If you’ll stand up to your emotions and plant them in the sea forever, they will obey you!
So today I must ask, “Isn’t it time for you to rise up and take charge of the situation in your soul?” Never forget that it is your soul, so you are responsible for what happens there. Even if others have wronged you, it is simply a fact that you are the only one who has the power to allow such a foul tree of bitterness to grow inside your soul. It is your responsibility to remove those bitter roots and be freed of that inner mess.
The Holy Spirit is present right now to help you make the choice to forgive, forget, and permanently walk free of the past wrongs that others have committed against you — or the wrongs you think they committed against you. Right now it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. What matters is that you uproot that tree of bitterness before it begins producing deadly fruit in your life.
So by faith, reach out and grab hold of the base of that ugly growth. Grip it tightly; pull with all your might; and rip those roots right of out of your heart. Then dump that gnarly tree of bitterness and unforgiveness permanently in the sea where it will never bother you again!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You that I don’t ever have to be stalked and hounded by bitter attitudes and wrong thinking for the rest of my life. With the authority You have given me, I can speak to those attitudes and command them to go! I can speak to my flesh, and it will obey me. Rather than be conquered by my flesh, my negative emotions, and my wrong attitudes, I am asking You to help me rise up to take authority over my soul and clean up the mess that has been made inside my head. I know that with Your help, my whole perspective can change!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that it is time for me to rise up and take charge of the situation in my soul! It is my soul, so I am responsible for what happens there. Even if others did wrong to me, I choose to forgive, forget, and permanently walk free. Right now it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. What matters is that I uproot the tree of bitterness before it produces any more deadly fruit in my life. So by faith, I am reaching out to grab hold of the base of that ugly growth. I am gripping it tightly and pulling with all my might to rip those roots right out of my heart! Those old thoughts no longer have a right to operate inside me. They are now dead issues — cast once and for all into the sea where they can’t hound me anymore!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you have a wrong attitude that has been deeply rooted in your soul for a long time?
2. If the answer is yes, are you ready and willing to rip that foul growth out of your soul today with the power of your spoken, faith-filled words and by your authority in the name of Jesus?
3. There will be no accidental deliverance from these attitudes, so what steps do you plan to take to see that your heart is fully liberated once and for all?
It’s Time for You To Speak to Yourself!
…If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
— Luke 17:6
When Jesus taught His disciples about the evil effects of bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense, He also told them how to uproot and remove offenses and unforgiveness from the heart. Praise God that Jesus didn’t just identify the problem and then leave us to figure out our deliverance by ourselves! He took it one step further and gave us the secret weapon for jerking those roots clear out of the ground and sending them to a place where they will never again produce their wicked fruit in us.
Jesus said, “…If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6). Notice Jesus said, “…Ye might say unto this sycamine tree….” In order to get rid of these destructive devices, you have to rise up and take authority over them!
Jesus specifically said that you must literally speak to the sycamine tree. The word “say” used in Luke 17:6 is the Greek word lego, which means to speak, but the tense that is used depicts a strong, stern, serious, deeply felt kind of speaking. In other words, this isn’t a person who mutters thoughtless nonsense; this is a person who has made an inward resolution and now speaks authoritatively and with great conviction.
Your voice represents your authority; therefore, when you raise your voice, you release your authority. That is why you must speak to these attitudes and not just think about them. You can think all you want about removing those poisonous roots in your life, but your thoughts will not remove them. But when you get so tired of living under the stress and strain of bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense that you lift your voice and command these foul forces to go, they will finally begin to obey you!
I promise you, friend — if you wait until you feel like speaking to those ugly attitudes, you’ll never do it! If you depend on your feelings and emotions to motivate you, you’ll never be free of offense and unforgiveness. Your feelings and emotions will tell you that you have a right and a reason to feel the way you do. Your flesh will talk you into hanging on to those unprofitable, harmful attitudes. So make the choice not to listen to your negative emotions anymore; then start exercising your God-given authority by speaking to yourself!
It is time for you to accept personal responsibility for your inward condition. Stop blaming everyone else for all your bad attitudes, and acknowledge that there is something inside you that needs to be removed! Jesus said you must speak to that “sycamine tree” and tell it to go!
- If you don’t speak to your emotions, they will speak to you.
- If you don’t take authority over your emotions, they will take authority over you.
- If you don’t rise up and conquer your flesh, it will rise up and conquer you!
- So quit letting your emotions tell you what to think, what to do, and how to react.
- It’s time for YOU to do the talking and to take command of your own thought life!
You have to treat bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness like they are enemies that have come to corrupt your soul. You must see them as bandits that have come to steal your joy, your peace, and your relationships. Would you throw open the door and allow a bandit to ravage your home? Of course not! In addition to using all the power available to you for removing that bandit, you’d probably command him to get out of your house! And I seriously doubt that you would whisper at him; most likely you would yell and scream as you ordered him out!
Likewise, you must decide not to tolerate this spiritual pestilence any longer, not even for a second. It’s time for you to raise your voice of authority and declare to these attitudes that they will no longer dominate you. And if you must, speak to these attitudes and command them to go again and again and again and again and again — until they are finally uprooted and removed forever!
You have to go for the roots! If you want to be free, it’s going to take an attitude that says, “I’m going to get to the roots of this beast and yank them clear out of my soul, and I’m not going to stop until I’m totally free!”
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I intend to exercise my God-given authority and to raise my voice to tell these attitudes that they will no longer hound and dominate me! Bitterness, I command you to leave me in Jesus’ name! Unforgiveness, I refuse to be bound by you any longer, and I tell you to leave me right now! Offense, I will not be held hostage by you any longer, and I am telling you to flee from me in the name of Jesus! The Lord has redeemed me, and I refuse to allow you to operate in me any longer. I command you to go RIGHT NOW in Jesus’ powerful name!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I will not tolerate attitudes of bitterness and unforgiveness in my life anymore. I’m not going to just think about how bad these attitudes are and how I need to change. I’m going to lift my voice and speak to them like enemies of my soul that have come to destroy my life and ruin my relationships. I simply will not allow myself to be subjected to these hounding thoughts any longer. I proclaim that I am free of the memories of those who did wrong to me. I forgive them. I choose to let it all go. I am walking completely free from these attitudes and will not be controlled by them from this day forward!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Don’t you agree that it’s time for you to stop only thinking about changing and to start doing something about it? Don’t you agree that you need to lift your voice and use your God-given authority to command bitterness and unforgiveness to release your mind and emotions?
2. How would you react if you knew a bandit was coming to ravage your house? Would you throw open the door, let him in, and watch him freely move about your house? Or would you summon all the power available to you to get rid of him?
3. Isn’t it time that you start using your own authority to speak to the spiritual bandits that have been robbing you in so many areas of your life?