September 12

Love Seeks Not Its Own, Is Not Easily Provoked, Thinks No Evil

Charity [agape love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.
— 1 Corinthians 13:4,5

In First Corinthians 13:5, Paul continues his message about the agape love of God. The seventh characteristic he gives us is that this high-level love “…seeketh not her own….”

The word “seeketh” is the Greek word zeteo, which means to seek. However, it was also used to depict a person who is so upset about not getting what he wanted that he turns to the court system to sue or to demand what he is striving to obtain. Instead of taking no for an answer, this person is so intent on getting his own way that he will search, seek, and investigate, never giving up in his pursuit to get what he wants. In fact, he’s so bent on getting his way that he’ll twist the facts; look for loopholes; put words in other people’s mouths; try to hold others accountable for promises they never made; leap on administrative mistakes as opportunities to twist someone’s arm; or seek various other methods to turn situations to his benefit. This is manipulation!

There is no doubt that Paul had the image of a manipulating, scheming person in his mind when he wrote this verse. Have you ever met such a person? Have you ever encountered a man or woman who schemed and manipulated all the time to get what he or she wanted?

The point Paul makes here is that love is not scheming or manipulating, for this kind of behavior is dishonest and untruthful. Scheming and manipulating to get your own way is simply wrong! If you can’t honestly state what you think or what you want, then don’t say or do anything. Speaking half-truths and white lies or operating according to a secret agenda is not the way that agape love behaves.

The Greek words in this text could be understood to mean:

“…Love does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage….”

After making this point, Paul then lists the eighth characteristic of agape love. He tells us that love “…is not easily provoked….”

The word “easily” does not appear in the original Greek, but it was later supplied by the King James translators. Some scholars have asserted it was injected into the King James Version because the translators of the day wanted to make a certain point to King James, who was famous for losing his temper and flying off the handle!

The Greek text has the word paroxsuno for the word “provoked.” It is a compound of para, meaning alongside, and oxsus, which means to poke, to prick, or to stick, as with a sharpened instrument. When compounded together, the new word portrays someone who comes alongside another and then begins to poke, prick, or stick that other person with some type of sharpened instrument. He continues to pick, poke, and stick until the victim becomes provoked. He’s finally had enough of this person’s relentless actions of picking, poking, and sticking, so he responds by violently and aggressively assaulting the offender. The result is a fight — a conflict of the most serious order.

We find the word paroxsunos used in this way in Acts 15:39, where Luke records information about a conflict that transpired between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark on the next journey, but Paul was against it because John Mark had already proven himself unfaithful on an earlier trip. As they debated the issue, the words they exchanged must have been very sharp. This is why Luke wrote, “And the contention was so sharp between them….”

This is a translation of the word paroxsuno, letting us know that Paul and Barnabas came alongside each other in close debate and then began to poke, stick, prick, and jab each other with their words. The Greek language leaves no doubt that the conversation that ensued was extremely hot. In fact, this provocation was so severe that it disrupted their friendship and destroyed their partnership in ministry.

The word oxsus is also the Greek word for vinegar. I especially find this interesting because the word oxsus is the exact word for “vinegar” in the Russian language. The fact that this is the word for vinegar lets us know that the words Paul and Barnabas spoke to each other were stringent, sharp, severe, sour, tart, bitter, and acidy. These words were so bitter that it left a sour taste in their mouths and their memories. As a result of these harsh words, these two men who had served God together in the ministry separated: “…Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; and Paul chose Silas, and departed…” (Acts 15:39,40).

I’m sure Paul remembers this experience very well as he warns believers everywhere that love is “…not easily provoked….” He speaks by experience when he tells us that this is not the behavior of love. Having reaped the consequences of losing his temper and saying regrettable, acidy words in a moment of conflict, Paul warns us that agape love does not behave in this fashion.

An interpretive translation of Paul’s words in First Corinthians 13:5 could read this way:

“…Love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response….”

Then Paul lists his ninth point about love, telling us that agape love “…thinketh no evil.” The Greek word for “thinketh” is logidzomai, which was an accounting term that would be better translated to count or to reckon. It literally meant to credit to someone’s account.

Before us is the image of a bookkeeper who meticulously keeps accurate financial records. But in this case, the bookkeeper is an offended person who keeps detailed records of every wrong that was ever done to him. Just as a bookkeeper has an entry for every debit and credit on the books, this person painstakingly stores in his memory all the mistakes, faults, grievances, disappointments, failures, or perceived wrongdoings that someone has made against him. Rather than forgive and let it go, the offended person has carefully maintained records of each action done to him that he deemed unjust or unfair.

This is certainly not the way love behaves! If you want to know how love behaves, look at the behavior of God toward you. Although God could drag up your past before you all the time, He doesn’t do that! In fact, after He forgave you (Psalm 103:3), God decided He wouldn’t deal with you according to your sins or reward you according to your iniquities (Psalm 103:10). Although He could remember your past mistakes if He chose to do so, God doesn’t and never will choose to remember them.

Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” This means that God doesn’t keep records of your past forgiven sins! Once they are under the blood of Jesus, God separates them from you forever.

You see, that is how real agape love behaves. So if you are ever tempted to keep mental records of wrongs someone has done to you, be aware that you’re not giving to that person the same mercy God has given to you. Someone who has been forgiven as much as you have been forgiven has no right to keep a record of someone else’s mistakes!

Paul’s words “thinketh no evil” should actually be translated:

“…Love does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes.”

Is there anyone you are holding hostage in your mind because of what you deemed to be an inappropriate action taken against you? If that person did wrong, it’s right for you to confront him in love. But once you have dealt with the matter, you need to release the offense and let it go — just as Jesus has released you from your past and is believing that you are now on the right track!

If you have a hard time releasing people from their past wrongs, it’s a sign that you need agape to be released in your life. The fact that you’re flipping back to that old record of wrongs again and again — bringing up past grievances that should have been forgiven and forgotten — means you are not perfected in love! Throw that diary away! Didn’t God throw away His diary about YOUR past?

When all these Greek words and phrases are translated together, an expanded interpretive translation could read:

“…Love doesn’t manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to its own advantage; love does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response; love doesn’t deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes.”

Well, how do you feel after looking into the mirror of First Corinthians 13:4-8 today? There are three more days to go as we delve deeply into the precious, Spirit-anointed words in this passage of Scripture. Don’t rush through these particular Sparkling Gems. As you read them, take the time to carefully digest them; take them deep into your heart and soul. God wants to change you, but before you can change, you must first recognize what needs to be fixed!

If God is speaking to your heart, don’t rush from this quiet time with Him too quickly. Stop everything you are doing, and make it your most important matter of business to get your heart right first with the Lord and then with others!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me put an end to any scheming or manipulating tendencies that still reside in my soul. I know that this is very grievous to You and damaging to my relationships. I repent for participating in this evil behavior, and I ask You to help me be honest in all my dealings with other people. Help me to curb my anger, hold my tongue, and refrain from speaking words that bring harm. Thank You for forgiving me for past sins. Today I am making a decision to wipe the slate clean regarding anyone who has ever acted unjustly or unfairly with me. 

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I don’t try to manipulate situations or look for ways to scheme to get what I want. I don’t deceptively twist situations to my advantage, nor do I deliberately engage in actions or speak words that cause an ugly or violent response. I have been forgiven much; therefore, I quickly forgive others, never keeping a record of others’ wrongs, sins, or mistakes. God is doing a mighty work in me, and every day I am becoming more and more free!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever been guilty of manipulating situations or scheming behind the scenes to get what you wanted? When you were doing it, was your heart grieved because you knew what you were doing was displeasing to the Lord?

2. Have you ever spoken words that were so ugly, they resulted in harming a precious relationship? Were you afterward sorry that you didn’t control your temper? If you have damaged a relationship due to bad words, why don’t you lay down your pride and go ask that person to forgive you?

3. Have you forgiven those who have done wrong to you in the past, or do you still hold them hostage in your mind? Have you kept a record of their offenses so you can replay them over and over again in your mind, or can you honestly say that you have forgiven them and have no ill feelings toward them?

September 11

Love Vaunts Not Itself, Is Not Puffed Up, and Does Not Behave Itself Unseemly

Charity [agape love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly….
— 1 Corinthians 13:4,5

When Paul wrote First Corinthians 13:1, he alluded to “super-spiritual” people in Corinth who boasted of great spirituality but who exhibited very little love in their lives. He said they were like a “sounding brass” and a “tinkling cymbal.”

As noted earlier (see September 9), these particular phrases indicate that these people talked incessantly, annoying and aggravating others with their never-ending, self-consumed chatter. In fact, the words “tinkling cymbal” were the very Greek words used to depict the clashing of cymbals that announced the onset of a war. This gives us the impression that the ceaseless talking and bragging of these “super-spirituals” often made their listeners fighting mad!

Could this be the reason Paul makes his fourth point on the characteristics of agape by saying that love “…vaunteth not itself…”? The word “vaunteth” has lost its meaning in today’s vernacular, but in Greek it is very powerful! This word comes from the Greek word perpereuomai, which means a lot of self-talk. In other words, it describes a person who endlessly promotes himself and exaggerates his own virtues. His self-promotion is so outrageous that he is usually prone to exaggeration that borders on lying. One Greek scholar has said that the word perpereuomai pictures a person who is full of hot air. Another expositor has said this word refers to a windbag!

The word “vaunteth” is Paul’s strong warning to let us know:

“…Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others….”

Even as I write, my thoughts have turned to an individual who fits this description perfectly! If you know anyone like this, you’re probably thinking of that person as well, because people like this are such an annoyance that it’s hard to ignore or forget them.

Regarding the man I’m thinking of, people who see him coming in their direction immediately begin to look for a way to escape. They know that once this man gets hold of them, he’s going to start talking endlessly about himself, his projects, his ideas, and his accomplishments. He boasts to such an extreme degree that it is outright obnoxious. The problem is, he doesn’t seem to be aware how full of his “self” he is!

Once a mutual friend asked him, “Why don’t you ever ask about anyone else? All you ever talk about is yourself and your own feats. Don’t you think it would be good to show at least some interest in what others are doing? Do you know how selfish you seem to be to other people?”

The man answered, “Is anyone else besides myself doing anything that is worth talking about? I’m the only one doing anything significant.” He was so self-consumed that he couldn’t even recognize the fact that there are other hard-working high achievers in the Kingdom of God!

Coming from a terrible, insecure foundation in his own life, this man somehow feels that he must stretch the truth to a ridiculous extreme and brag about his own accomplishments. He has sung his own praises so long that no one close to him wants to hear those songs anymore! His total lack of concern for others and his complete preoccupation with himself have become offensive and disgusting to nearly everyone who knows him.

Often people exaggerate and boast endlessly because they have a hidden agenda they want to promote or because they want to gain some higher position or place of authority. Other times they are hoping to make the kind of impression that might give them special status or recognition in the eyes of others. Finally, they may just feel driven to prove their worth. Regardless of the reason that people boast about themselves, this kind of behavior does not demonstrate the way that agape love behaves!

Agape love is so strong, so sure, and so confident that it doesn’t need to speak of itself or its accomplishments, even if those accomplishments are greater than anyone else’s. Real agape love would never flaunt itself in this way; instead, agape love wants to focus on the accomplishments of others in order to build them up and make them feel more valuable and secure. Remember, agape isn’t a self-focused love — it is focused on giving of itself in order to meet other people’s needs.

Paul gives the fifth characteristic of agape love when he tells us that love “…is not puffed up.” These words are based on the Greek word phusio, which means to be proud, to be swollen, or to be inflated. Thus, this word vividly paints the picture of a person who is filled with pride.

Paul warns that agape is never phusio. This means agape love is never deceived into thinking too highly of itself, nor does it arrogantly claim that it is better than others. Making this word even more significant is the fact that the word phusio also carries the notion of a person who has an air of superiority and haughtiness or a person who is snooty or snobbish in his dealings with other people.

Paul uses the word phusio in First Corinthians 4:6 to denote the pride and arrogance that was developing between wrangling members of the Corinthian church, each of whom believed that his or her particular leader was more important than other leaders. In First Corinthians 4:19, Paul uses phusio again as he warns these believers to change their behavior; otherwise, he will come to rebuke those who are “puffed up.” This arrogance involving leadership was the primary source of division, contention, and rivalry in the Corinthian church.

In First Corinthians 5:2, Paul uses the word phusio yet again. After boldly confronting the Corinthian church for tolerating a grossly immoral situation among its members, Paul expresses his amazement that they could be “puffed up” in light of the ungodly relationship that was thriving right before their eyes. Then in First Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV), Paul uses the word phusio when he tells the Corinthians, “…Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”

When you consider the Greek meaning of the words “puffed up,” it becomes evident that Paul was letting us know:

“…Love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner.”

After Paul tells us that love is not puffed up, he proceeds to give us his sixth point. He writes that love “doth not behave itself unseemly….”

The Greek word for “unseemly” is aschemoneo, an old word that means to act in an unbecoming manner. It suggests a person who is tactless or thoughtless. It also expresses the notion of a person who is careless and inconsiderate of others. Both his actions and words tend to be rude and discourteous, and he exhibits bad manners in the way he deals with people. His language is harsh and brutal, revealing that this person is uncaring, insensitive, and unkind. In short, we would say that this is a person who “acts ugly.”

Because of the word “unseemly” in First Corinthians 13:5, it explicitly means that the Holy Spirit is telling us:

“Love is not rude and discourteous — it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others….”

So how do you fare when you look into the mirror of God’s Word today? Do you pass the love test, or have you come up short again? If you see that you have fallen short of the high-level love God wants you to possess and exhibit in your life, it’s time for you to go back to the Lord and talk to Him about it again! Never stop going to Him until you know that you are walking continually in the high-level love He wants you to demonstrate in your life!

When all these Greek words and phrases are translated together, an expanded interpretive translation could be as follows:

“…Love doesn’t go around talking about itself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make it look more important in the sight of others; love does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner; love is not rude and discourteous — it is not careless or thoughtless, nor does it carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others….”

Is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? Is He showing you areas where you have:

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, it’s time for you to take immediate action! You need to spend some quality time with Jesus. Ask Him to forgive you, and let His blood cleanse you; then ask the Holy Spirit to start the process of transforming you into the image of Jesus. Don’t stop until you think, see, and act like Jesus Christ — every moment of every day!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me live my life in a way that glorifies You. You are my Lord, and I am Your servant and child. I don’t want to do anything with my life that brings disrespect or dishonor to Your precious name! Help me to not exaggerate or embellish the truth. I ask You to correct me when I am lured into snobbery or pride and to lovingly rebuke me when I “act ugly” toward others. I want to be like You, Jesus, and I’m not going to stop pressing ahead until I demonstrate Your life and Your nature in my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am never going to stop until I have attained the high level of love Jesus wants me to have in my life! I don’t go around talking about myself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts. I don’t behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner. I’m not rude and discourteous. I’m not careless or thoughtless. As I spend time with Jesus, I am being changed into His image — and I demonstrate His life and His nature to other people!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you been guilty of exaggerating or embellishing the truth to make yourself look better in front of other people? Would you feel comfortable telling those same stories if you were face-to-face with Jesus?

2. Have you ever been guilty of acting in a snobbish or clannish manner? Are you and your friends so tight that others might view your group as an exclusive little clique?

3. Have you been acting in a fashion that glorifies the name of Jesus? Or are there certain ways you behave that are too “ugly” to be representative of Jesus? 

September 10

Love Is Patient and Kind

Charity [agape love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not….
— 1 Corinthians 13:4

During the next six Sparkling Gems, I want to speak to you about Paul’s words in First Corinthians 13:4-8, where he speaks of love. These powerful verses are like a mirror. If you will be brave enough to look honestly into that mirror, you will find that Paul lists fifteen powerful points about the love of God and how it behaves. By peering into these verses, you will be able to determine if your life is a reflection of the high-level kind of love God wants you to exhibit toward others.

If you discover that your life is a reflection of this love, you can praise God for the great growth and maturity you have attained in your life. But if you find that your life does not reflect the kind of love God wants you to possess, take it as a signal from Heaven that you need to change and become more like Jesus!

Paul wrote, “Charity [God’s high-level agape love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

In these verses, the apostle Paul tells us fifteen primary marks or characteristics of agape love. We are going to be looking at all fifteen of these points; however, before we get into the specific manifestations of agape love, let’s first look at the word agape itself, for this is a very special kind of love, unlike any other in the world.

In First Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul uses the word agape to describe the highest level of love in this world, which is also the kind of love God expects every believer to demonstrate in his or her life. This word agape describes a love so completely different from what the world offers that it is only used in the New Testament to describe God’s love and the love that should flow from the hearts of believers.

Agape is a divine love that gives and gives and gives, even if it’s never responded to, thanked, or acknowledged. You could say that agape is a love that isn’t based on response but on a decision to keep on loving, regardless of a recipient’s response or lack of response. Because agape is such an unconditional love, I call it high-level love. It is the highest, most noble, purest form of love that exists.

In First Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul describes the characteristics of agape love. God designed these verses to help you determine whether or not you are walking in this kind of high-level love in your own life.

As Paul begins his description of the conduct of agape, he first writes, “Charity [agape love] suffereth long….” The words “suffereth long” are taken from the Greek word makrothumia, a compound of the words makros and thumos. As noted earlier (see July 25), the word makros means long. The word makros may indicate something that is long, distant, far, remote, or of long duration. The word thumos means anger, but it also embodies the idea of swelling emotions or a strong and growing passion about something.

When these two words are compounded into one, it forms the word makrothumia, which pictures the patient restraint of anger and therefore longsuffering. It can be translated as the words forbearance and patience.

The word makrothumia (“longsuffering”) is like a candle that has a very long wick. Because its wick is long, it is prepared to burn a long time. It is ready to forbear and patiently wait until a certain person finally comes around, makes progress, changes, or hears what you are trying to communicate or teach him. This is the picture of a person whose feelings for someone else are so passionate that he doesn’t easily give up or bow out; instead, he keeps on going and going and going, even though the other person doesn’t quickly respond to him.

So when Paul says, “charity suffereth long,” his words could be rendered:

“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed….”

Dear friend, this means agape love doesn’t throw in the towel and quit. In fact, the harder the fight and the longer the struggle, the more committed agape love becomes. Like a candle with an endless wick, it just keeps burning and burning and burning, for it never knows how to quit. This, of course, is contrary to human nature, which says, “I’m sick and tired of waiting and believing. If that person doesn’t come around pretty soon, I’m finished with this relationship.”

Are you in a relationship that tests your patience? Are you tempted to throw up your arms in exasperation? If so, you need a good dose of agape love to be released in you!

According to Romans 5:5, the agape love of God has already been “shed abroad” in your heart by the Holy Spirit. This means you don’t have to come up with this supernatural love by yourself. The words “shed abroad” are from the Greek word ekcheo, which denotes a pouring forth, a discharge, a spilling out, or something that is dispersed in abundance. In other words, God has magnificently bestowed on you sufficient love to be longsuffering in any relationship or situation.

God’s love has literally been poured forth, dispensed, and shed abroad in your heart. So when you ask the Holy Spirit to help you, He will release a river of this divine love to flow forth from within you and cause you to be supernaturally longsuffering toward that person who has frustrated you so much.

It’s just a fact that human nature is short-tempered and intolerant, but agape is slow to anger, slow to wrath, and doesn’t know how to quit! It supernaturally becomes stronger and more committed the longer it takes to get through to the heart of the one who is loved. This is a miraculous love — a love that transforms and changes people’s lives.

Second, Paul tells us that love is “kind.” The word “kind” is the Greek word chresteuomai, which means to be adaptable or compliant to the needs of others. When agape is working in your life, you don’t demand that others be like you. Instead, agape makes you want to bend over backwards to become what others need you to be for them! Thus, the word “kind” portrays a willingness to serve and to change in order to meet the needs of others. This is completely opposite of selfishness and self-centeredness.

So when Paul writes that love is “kind,” an expanded interpretation of this phrase would mean:

“…Love doesn’t demand others to be like itself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be….”

If this is what Paul means when he says that love is kind, we must look into the mirror and ask ourselves: Do I become what others need me to be, or do I demand that others be like me? Real agape love doesn’t think of itself first. Instead, it is always reaching out, thinking and focusing primarily on the needs of others. The person walking in agape love adapts to those around him in order to touch them, help them, and impact them in a meaningful way.

Third, Paul tells us that “…charity [agape love] envieth not….” The word “envy” is the Greek word zelos, which portrays a person who is radically consumed with his own desires and plans. This is a person so bent on getting his own way that he is willing to sacrifice anything or anyone to get it. You might describe this person as being ambitious and self-centered. He is so consumed with himself that he doesn’t ever think of the needs or desires of others. His own plans are paramount in his mind, and everyone else comes after him.

Therefore, when Paul says, “charity envieth not,” his words could actually be rendered:

“…Love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess….”

I long so much to see this terrible flaw uprooted from all our lives! You see, real agape love doesn’t think of itself first but is always looking outward, thinking of the other person rather than itself. So examine your relationships at home, at church, and at work, and ask yourself: Am I committed to seeing others blessed and successful, or am I more committed to my own cause than anyone else’s? If you’re walking in agape love, your greatest concern is that others succeed!

When all these Greek words and phrases are translated together, this could be an expanded interpretive translation:

“Love passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed; love doesn’t demand others to be like itself, but is so focused on the needs of others that it bends over backwards to become what others need it to be; love is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with itself that it never thinks of the needs or desires that others possess….”

This is what it means when the Bible says love is patient; love is kind; and love is not envious. Now you must look into God’s “mirror” and see what it tells you about your own life today. Do you demonstrate these characteristics of divine love in your life? Are you passionately patient with others? Do you bend over backwards to be what other people need you to be? Are you more focused on people around you than on yourself?

If your answer is yes to these questions, then praise God for the great growth and spiritual maturity you have gained in your life. But if you see that your life is not reflecting these attributes of God’s love, you still have something to rejoice about — you can be thankful that God has revealed this deficiency to you. Now you can ask Him to help change you and make you more like Jesus!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me open my heart so that agape love can flow up from within me. I realize that I’ve allowed myself to get clogged up with my own self-interests far too often. I need to be more focused on the needs of others than I am on myself. I realize that the only way I can become this selfless is to yield to the Holy Spirit so He can do a deep work in my life. Holy Spirit, I am asking You today to do whatever is necessary to teach me how to regularly walk in this high-level, agape love of God.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I walk in the agape love of God. I am patient with other people. I am also very slow to anger or to get upset. I am so concerned about the welfare of others that one of my chief priorities in life is to become everything I need to be to meet their needs. Other people see me as a friend who wants to help them succeed. Although God has given me my own dreams and desires, I never neglect to help others achieve their dreams and aspirations as well. Because high-level love works in me, I am becoming more and more like Jesus Christ!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you say that you are longsuffering and patient with others, or would you have to admit that you tend to be short-tempered and quick to “blow your top” when other people don’t do exactly what you expected them to do?

2. Can you say that you are compliant to the needs of those around you, or would you have to say you are continually demanding that others meet your needs? If we asked people who know you this question, how do you think they would answer? What would their answer reveal about you?

3. Can you say that you are more focused on other people’s needs and successes than on your own, or are you so totally consumed with yourself that it’s been a very long time since you’ve done something sacrificial to help someone else?

September 9

Do You Sound Like a Sounding Brass Or a Tinkling Cymbal?

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [agape love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
— 1 Corinthians 13:1

It seems that the apostle Paul encountered a group of people who were extremely “super-spiritual” in the city of Corinth. However, Paul was unimpressed with these people and their level of spirituality because they had an obvious lack of love. Their deficit of love bothered him so deeply that he alluded to it when he wrote First Corinthians 13:1: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

The words “sounding brass” are very important in this verse. Let’s begin our study today with the word “brass.” It comes from the Greek word chalkos, an old word that referred to metal. However, it wasn’t just any metal; it was bronze or copper to which a small amount of tin had been added. This tin caused the metal to have a hollow, empty sound when it was beaten. That is why Paul also used the word “sounding” — the Greek word echo, which described a noise that reverberates or echoes. When these two words were used together, they portrayed the endless beating of metal that produces a hollow, annoying, irritating echo that seems to eternally reverberate.

So when Paul wrote about a “sounding brass,” he borrowed an illustration from the pagan world of Corinth to make his point about super-spiritual people who demonstrate no love. The illustration he chose to use was the endless, nonstop, annoying, aggravating, irritating, frenzied beating and clanging of brass that was performed in pagan worship and that echoed ceaselessly throughout the city of Corinth. The citizens of Corinth could never escape the endless banging of this metal, so this was an illustration everyone in the Corinthian church could readily comprehend.

The unsaved citizens of Corinth were deeply devoted to pagan religions. In terms of paganism and idolatry, Corinth stands out as one of the most wicked, idolatrous cities in world history. The pagan temples of the city were filled with worshipers who danced wildly under the influence of wine and drugs. In order to drive the people over the edge and into an emotionally frenzied state of spiritual ecstasy, the pagan priests would wildly beat the metal drums faster and faster and louder and louder.

The citizens believed the piercing, deafening banging and clanging of the drums was essential for achieving a state of spiritual ecstasy. Nevertheless, it was a constant nuisance to them, for they could never escape the constant, rhythmic pounding of metal that produced this clamoring noise.

As time passed, this well-known and commonly loathed, nonstop clanging noise became the very word people used to describe a person who talked incessantly.

Have you ever been around a person who talked so much that you didn’t even listen to him anymore? After a while did you just look at the person without listening because words never seemed to stop pouring from his mouth? Did his words eventually just sound like noise to you? Well, that is exactly what Paul is talking about here in First Corinthians 13:1 — people who say a lot and claim a lot, but who don’t have a life to match their many words. Paul says people like this are just a lot of empty, shallow, clanging, banging noises that eventually become an irritant to all who are near enough to hear them.

But wait — Paul also likened these super-spiritual people who lacked love to “a tinkling cymbal.” The word “tinkling” is a very poor translation, for the Greek word alalazon means to clash or to crash loudly. The word “cymbal” comes from the Greek word kumbalon, which is the Greek word for cymbals. But when these two words are compounded together, it describes a constant, loud clashing of cymbals, much like the clashing cymbals played by the Jewish people just before they went to war! The clashing of those cymbals was a call to arms! It sounded the signal that it was time to fight!

I find it interesting that Paul would use the phrases “sounding brass” and a “tinkling cymbal” to describe these people. Just as a “sounding brass” was irritating and nerve-racking to all who heard it, and just as the “tinkling cymbal” aroused the mind and emotions for war — a person who claims great spirituality but doesn’t demonstrate love can be just that much of an irritant!

As this type of person goes on endlessly in a perpetual, nonstop, shallow, boastful, self-glorification of himself, he almost makes you want to stand up and fight. But don’t do it! You need to pray for patience when you’re dealing with a person like that. If he isn’t willing to listen and be changed, you need to ask God to show you a way to graciously remove yourself from the difficult encounter. But if a door opens and an opportunity arises for you to speak the truth in love, tell that person how he is coming across to others. If you were in that person’s shoes, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you the truth, even if you didn’t like what he was telling you?

You might as well learn how to deal with this situation, because people who fit this description are not going away. Instead of focusing all your prayers on how these selfish people need to change, maybe it’s time for you to start asking God to change you so you can deal with them in a spirit of love. Maybe they’ve never seen real spirituality, so they don’t know what it looks like or how it sounds. If so, this is your opportunity to show them the real thing!

Don’t wait until this person’s nonstop talking drives you to the point of wanting to rise up and slap him and tell him to shut up. Before that ever happens, go to the Lord and ask Him to give you His heart for that person. When you have God’s heart and mind about the situation, you’ll be able to deal with it in the spirit of Jesus.

But what should you do if you are the one who talks nonstop? You need to pay attention to what you’ve read today. Do your words act like a repellant that drives people away from you? If you’ve noticed that people are avoiding you, maybe you need to find out the reason why! Go to someone and ask, “Would you please tell me what I am doing that is driving people away from me?” However, if you’re going to ask this question, be prepared to receive the answer. You must be willing to make corrections in your character, your words, and your life.

The last thing you or I want to be is a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Therefore, it would be good for all of us to go to the Lord and ask Him to reveal anything in our words or actions that needs to be changed. And if the Holy Spirit does reveal something to us, we need to give all our effort to bringing correction to our lives! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, please help me be patient with people who are inconsiderate of others and won’t stop talking about themselves. When I am tempted to lose my patience and to become angry with them, give me the grace to moderate my emotions so that I can respond to them in the spirit of Jesus. I know that You have been patient with me so often, and now it is my turn to be patient with others. Help me to show them the same kindness You have shown me and to avoid falling into the trap of being judgmental and impatient.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am loving, patient, and kind, and I do not quickly lose my temper with people who are self-consumed. These “motormouths” are not my enemies. I am their friend. As God enables me, I will speak the truth to them in the spirit of Jesus Christ. I believe that in their hearts, they want to change. Therefore, I overlook their weaknesses and am patient with them as God works on transforming them day by day!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Who is the motormouth you’ve been trying to deal with in your life? Has that person’s perpetual talking about himself revealed impatience in your own character?

2. If you encounter a person who boasts of great spirituality but demonstrates none of it in his or her personal behavior, how do you respond to this situation?

3. If you were the motormouth who negatively affected other people, would you want someone to speak the truth to you in love so you could bring correction to your life? If so, how would you want that person to approach you about the matter?

September 8

The ‘Morons’ of the World Are God’s Kind of People!

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise….
— 1 Corinthians 1:26,27

If you feel that you just aren’t smart enough to be used by God, then today’s Sparkling Gem is written just for you! Get ready, because you’re about to be abundantly blessed when you see exactly whom God delights in choosing and using to do mighty things in His name! In First Corinthians 1:27, the apostle Paul writes, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise….”

The word “foolish” is from the Greek word moraino. It depicts someone who is dull, dense, or slow. It was used in New Testament times to portray a person who was stupid or foolish — hence, a fool. It could also picture a person who is mentally ill or mentally deranged. The word moraino was used derogatorily to make fun of people or to put them down for being intellectually inferior. It comes from the same word from which we get the word moron. My thesaurus gives these other synonyms for a “moron”: idiot, imbecile, halfwit, numskull, dimwit, dunce, blockhead, dope, ignoramus, lamebrain, jerk, or twerp!

The truth is, no one is an idiot in God’s view. But the world often has a scathing opinion and view of people whom God chooses. It is simply a fact that the world regularly ridicules us as being nitwits, lamebrains, and idiots. This is precisely the way the word moraino was used in Paul’s time, depicting people whom the world scorned, made fun of, and treated with contempt.

Because much of the Early Church was comprised of servants and slaves, most of the people in the local congregations were very uneducated, uncultured, clumsy, crude, awkward, and unpolished. It wasn’t that they were stupid. They had simply never been exposed to or taught about manners, culture, and refined behavior. Reared and treated as servants since birth, they’d never had a need to know these skills. As a result, it is a historical fact that the vast majority of the Early Church was uncultured.

Although there was a logical reason why many of the early believers were so uncultured, this lack of polish made them look stupid in the world’s eyes. In fact, at first the Roman Empire looked upon Christianity as the religion of stupid, poor people because it grew so rapidly among the lower slave classes.

Yet Paul says, “…God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The word “confound” is the Greek word kataishuno. It means to put to shame, to embarrass, to confuse, to frustrate, or to baffle. The word “wise” is the word sophos, referring to those who are naturally brilliant, intellectually sharp, or especially enlightened. Paul is saying that God calls people whom the world considers morons in order to put to shame, embarrass, confuse, frustrate, and baffle those who think they’re so smart!

Taking all these Greek words into consideration, an interpretive translation of First Corinthians 1:26,27 could read:

“God selected people who are idiots in the world’s view; the world sees them as imbeciles, jerks, real twerps. Yet God is using them to utterly confound those who seem smart in the world’s eyes.”

If anyone has ever called you an idiot — if you’ve ever been called a stupid imbecile, a jerk, or a twerp — it’s time for you to rejoice! This makes you a candidate! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!

So don’t let anyone put you down or make you feel badly about yourself. A lack of education, culture, or polish has never stopped God from using people who have a willing heart. If your heart is right and you are willing for God to use you, you are the very one He is seeking right now! Just say, “Lord, here I am! I’m ready to be used!”

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for choosing to use people like me! I realize that I may not have the education, skills, culture, or high-level training that others may possess, but I do have a heart to be used by You. I want You to take me and use me for Your work in this earth. Today I surrender to You anew, asking You to take me and to use me mightily in this life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am exactly the kind of person God wants to use! My heart is right; my attitude is willing; and I deeply desire for God to use me in a special way in this life. I am willing to learn and ready to be corrected. I want God to shape me to become a mighty instrument in His hands. Because of my attitude and willing heart, God is going to use me mightily to further His Kingdom on this earth!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you accepted God’s call on your life?

2. If yes, what do you believe He has called you to do? What do you know about the special, unique plan He has for you that He doesn’t have for anyone else?

3. If you haven’t accepted your unique calling yet, what is stopping you today from saying yes to the Lord and stepping into the glorious future He has planned for your life?

September 7

Learn To Think Like a Snake!

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
— Matthew 10:16

When I was growing up, we had a lot of snakes in the countryside where we lived, and many of my young friends thought it was fun to search for and collect snakes. Because I was a typical little boy, I joined the rest of my friends in their pursuit of snakes. This firsthand experience taught me quite a lot about the behavior of snakes and later enabled me to have a deeper appreciation for what Jesus meant when He said, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

In this verse, Jesus commanded His disciples (and us) to be “wise as serpents.” The word “wise” is the Greek word pronimos, which means prudent, careful, cunning, discerning, thoughtful, intelligent, or sensible. This word perfectly depicts the behavior and actions of snakes. They are very careful, discerning, intelligent, and prudent in how they act. The Greek word for “serpent” is the word ophis, which is the normal Greek word that refers to a snake.

It is a fact that Jesus told us that we need to be “wise as serpents”! The Greek literally means we need to be as prudent, discerning, intelligent, thoughtful, and careful as snakes! There is obviously something Jesus wanted us to learn from the behavior of snakes, so I took the time to ponder this subject. Finally, I understood exactly why Jesus used this example and how it applies to all of us regarding our families, businesses, ministries, or any opportunity God places before us in life.

If you are squeamish about serpents and snakes, stay with me for the next few moments so you can get the full impact of what Jesus was telling us. Remember, Jesus is the One who chose to use a serpent to make this point. So let’s consider the behavior of serpents for a moment and see how this relates to us being “wise” in the way we live our lives and conduct our ministry or business.

First, when serpents first move into a new territory, they don’t announce their presence. Instead, they lay low, stay quiet, and blend into the environment. In fact, you can walk right past a snake and not even realize it! Snakes have the ability to be nearly invisible. They are designed to be camouflaged.

This camouflage serves as a protective covering. The vilest aggressor can walk right past, but the serpent is not noticed because it has blended so well into the landscape. That camouflage gives the serpent latitude to move about freely as it finds its way around new territory.

As snakes evaluate a new situation, they see what kind of opportunities are in the area. They identify places of shelter. They find “hiding places” to protect themselves from attack. They observe to see where they can find the easiest prey. When all these facts are assimilated, the serpent is ready to act. But this “settling-in” period is a key time for a serpent. And Jesus said there is wisdom in a serpent’s behavior from which we need to learn!

When God calls you or me to do something new — to move to new territory or to seize a divine opportunity — it is wisdom for us to move carefully and slowly into that new phase of our lives. A common mistake is to act too fast. Acting hastily before all the facts are gathered and assimilated can lead us to make erroneous decisions. In fact, one serious mistake can cause us to lose an opportunity altogether. It is better to lay low, stay quiet, and blend into the environment for a while, learning from the sights and the facts we observe.

Let me give you an example. When Denise and I first moved to the former USSR, we took time to learn the customs and culture of the new territory. We knew it would take time to understand everything we would see and experience, so we moved very slowly and carefully. Although we immediately saw opportunities, we decided to first watch and gain as much knowledge as possible about the circumstances we found ourselves in at that moment. Acting too quickly would have certainly meant making some bad and regrettable decisions.

In the first few months we lived there, we made little noise and our presence was hardly noticed. This allowed us the ability to move about freely and without disruption. We visited churches unannounced. We wandered in and out of different parts of the city to observe and ascertain the spiritual condition of our new environment.

Also, before I made any grand announcement that we were going to go on television, I first wanted to know something about television, and I felt that the best way to learn was to do it covertly. I had observed too many American missionaries who announced great plans that unfortunately never developed. Their ideas were great, perhaps even from God; but because these missionaries had acted before they understood the full picture, they ruined their testimony and lost a glorious opportunity.

Many missionaries were hurt because they acted too fast and got in a hurry. They were trying to take ground for the Kingdom of God in a land they knew nothing about. In reality, it was utter foolishness to start such fantastic projects without first understanding the challenges, risks, and dangers.

My wife and I knew that moving slower might take more time, but in the end such a strategy would produce more stable and serious results. We therefore made the choice to move slowly and steadily, gathering all the facts we could, analyzing the information, and then listening to what the Lord might say to us about the facts we had learned. Then and only then would we make an announcement about our plans. To make such an announcement without first taking the previous steps would have been a mistake.

Most serious mistakes are avoidable when moving to a new situation or environment. I strongly advise you to take your time and be sure of the actions you take before you ever act. I would suggest that you first:

Second, serpents are wise enough to know when to seize the moment and strike! Knowing when to act is as important as knowing when to lay low. When prey passes before a serpent, that serpent knows it’s time to strike! If the snake waits too long, the opportunity will pass by and the prey will reach an irretrievable position.

So when it’s time to act, put your fears and emotions aside and seize the moment!

I have seen so many ministers and businessmen pray and pray for divine opportunities to come to them. They fast, pray, and wait for that golden moment to come — and at last, it does! A great door of opportunity stands directly in front of them. It’s time to act. But rather than seize the moment and walk through that door, they pause to pray just a little bit longer. God brought them exactly what they had been praying for, but because they paused, they lost the opportunity. When they finally got around to saying yes, it was too late.

Let me give you another personal example. In 1993, I earnestly prayed and sought God to open a way for us to start a Christian television network in the former Soviet Union. One day I received a phone call from the top directors of a national television station. They asked me to fly to their city to meet with them and talk about broadcasting our television program every week on national television. My associate and I jumped on the next available plane and went to meet this powerful group of people who were making such an exciting offer to us.

My heart was filled with anticipation. I wondered, Is this the opportunity I’ve been praying would happen? Is it really occurring? Is God answering my prayer? I had a sense that something great and awesome was about to transpire, and I could hardly wait to arrive at the meeting to hear this group’s proposal.

I had already done my homework. I had studied the statistics regarding the full reach of the television channel about to be offered. I had spoken with pastors and churches all over that nation to see what they thought of that channel. My time of “laying low and blending into the environment” had given me the knowledge I needed for the moment I stepped into that meeting with those television directors. I was equipped for this long-awaited conversation, armed with information and supported by the prayers of our partners.

As the meeting began, the directors asked me, “Would you like to broadcast your television program on the national channel and penetrate every single home in this nation?” This is exactly what I had long been praying and waiting for! The opportunity of a lifetime was sitting on the table in front of me in the form of a television contract. But I held my composure, not wanting them to know how excited I was at this chance to reach every home in the nation. I wanted to hear how much this divine door of opportunity was going to cost our ministry each month.

The cost was much more than we had imagined. But I knew it was worth the money, considering the fact that our program would be broadcast into every single home in the entire nation. When I heard the price of the broadcast time, I felt a hesitation at first, a fear that we wouldn’t be able to come up with the cash each month. Yet I knew a door had been opened before me that had never been offered to anyone else before. Only God could open such an incredible door for the Gospel. There was no doubt that He was orchestrating the entire event.

I asked for a few minutes to be alone. When the television directors stepped out of the room, I told my associate, “I don’t know where the money is going to come from to pay for this, but only God could have opened this door of opportunity. It’s going to be a miracle payment each month, but I am going to sign this contract right now before we lose this opportunity for the Gospel.”

My head and logic said, Don’t do it, but my spirit said, DO IT NOW! In my heart, I knew it was the moment to strike and seize this incredible opportunity. So a few minutes later, I picked up an ink pen and signed my name on the dotted line. National television had fallen into my hands! Our programs would now be broadcast into the homes of more than fifty million people each week!

Within days of signing that contract, politics radically changed in the nation. If I hadn’t seized the opportunity at that exact moment, I would have lost it. If I had even hesitated one week, the door would have been closed. Because we seized it at the right time, our television program was locked into a contract that the government had to honor. As a result of acting at the right time, our ministry and television program became one of the most powerful spiritual forces in that nation. Since 1993 when we first walked through that door, we have been impacting that nation with the apostolic and teaching ministry God has given us, and countless lives have been changed forever.

I thank God that I had the spiritual guts and gumption to act at the right moment. I had already prayed and prayed. But as I sat with those directors that day, I sensed that I had to seize the moment and act. It was time to strike! Through experiences like this one, the Lord has taught me that there are moments to “lay low” and there are moments “to strike fast!” Surely this is one of the points Jesus was making to us when He told us to “…be ye therefore wise as serpents…” (Matthew 10:16).

You may be asking, “But how do I know when it’s time to lay low or time to take action and seize the moment?” The Holy Spirit will lead you in these areas if you will be sensitive enough in your spirit to follow His leading. If you will take the time to get quiet and listen for His voice, He will guide you past every obstacle, camouflage you from every attack, and show you exactly when to take action in your family, your business, your church, and the ministry God has given you.

Many people are afraid to obey what the Spirit puts in their hearts to do. Fearful that they will be led astray or that they will make a mistake, they sit on the sidelines and watch other people achieve success, while they remain right where they’ve always been. Let me tell you something, friend — you can trust the leading of the Holy Spirit! If you will let the Holy Spirit become your eyes and ears, you will never fail to recognize key moments and divine opportunities for your life, family, business, or ministry.

You and I are not brilliant enough to figure out the right timing for everything by our own logic. The timing for our actions must be directed by the Holy Spirit, not by us. If we learn to depend on the Spirit’s leading, we will walk through many strategic doors at key moments. But it is imperative that we understand this: When He says “NOW!” it really means “NOW!”

I pray that you have fresh insight into what Jesus meant when He commanded us to “…be ye therefore wise as serpents….” He was giving us a powerful message, wasn’t He? So be very careful not to move too fast, and be careful also not to delay when the time is right to act. Open your heart to the Spirit of God today, and let Him begin to teach you when to lay low and when to strike!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me be wise, prudent, intelligent, discerning, and sensible in the way I think and act. You see everything and know exactly what is really happening, so I am leaning on You to lead me in every situation. Teach me when to sit still and when to act. You are my Leader, so I look to You to lead me and to help me do exactly what is right in each situation.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I have the mind of Jesus Christ! His mind makes me sensible, intelligent, prudent, discerning, and accurate in the way I think and behave. Because the Holy Spirit is producing the mind of Christ in my life, I make very few mistakes. In fact, I am getting better and better all the time at seeing things accurately and knowing what to do in different situations. I am careful to lay low when the Spirit says to wait, and I am bold to obey when the Spirit says to act!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you had a moment in the past when you knew an opportunity was passing before you — and you had to strike right at that moment or you’d lose the opportunity God was giving you?

2. In that instance, what did you do? Did you hesitate and lose the golden moment God was trying to drop into your hands, or did you seize the opportunity and strike? If you hesitated and lost the opportunity, have you asked the Lord to forgive you for letting fear defeat you? Have you asked Him to give you another chance?

3. Do you recognize the opportunities the Holy Spirit brings before you? What opportunity is passing in front of you right now? How are you going to respond differently now than you did before to assure that you don’t lose another God-given chance to do or to achieve something great?

September 6

Here’s How To Extinguish The Fiery Darts of the Wicked!

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
— Ephesians 6:16

Would you like to extinguish every flaming dart the devil ever tries to shoot in your direction? Does that proposal sound too good to be true? Well, Ephesians 6:16 assures you that if you have your shield of faith lifted high in front of you, you will be supernaturally empowered to defend yourself against the fiery darts of the enemy. But more than that, you will be able to literally extinguish every single fiery dart the devil will ever try to send your way!

This makes our shield of faith very important! Therefore, let’s look at Ephesians 6:16 to see exactly what it says about us being able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the enemy. It says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Today I would like to draw your attention to several very important points in this verse. First, I want you to notice the phrase “…wherewith ye shall be able….” The first part of this Greek phrase would be better translated by which. For the words “ye shall be able,” the Greek word used here is the word dunamis, which denotes explosive power or dynamic power and is where we get the word “dynamite.” When these Greek words and phrases are used together as they are in Ephesians 6:16, it could actually be translated, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, by which you will be dynamically empowered….”

Paul uses these Greek words to explain the supernatural empowerment that occurs when a believer uses his shield of faith. When a believer lifts his shield high and holds it out in front of him where it belongs, that shield divinely energizes the believer to stand bravely against every assault of the devil. That shield of faith becomes dynamically and supernaturally empowered to act as an impenetrable wall of defense against the enemy’s tactics. In other words, faith is a shield to the believer!

The shield of faith is so powerful that it makes you fortified, invulnerable, and armed to the teeth! It equips you to hold an ironclad position. It turns you into a spiritual tank so you have the ability to move your position forward without taking any losses yourself. This doesn’t mean the devil won’t try to stop you, but when the shield of faith is held out in front of you as it ought to be, you become divinely empowered “…to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

The word “quench” in this verse is the Greek word sbennumi, which means to quench by dousing or to extinguish by drowning in water. It refers to the water-soaked shield of Roman soldiers. You see, before Roman soldiers went out to battle, they purposely soaked their shields in water until they were completely water-saturated. The soldiers did this because they knew the enemy would be shooting fire-bearing arrows in their direction. If a shield was dry, it was possible for it to be set on fire when struck. But if this vital piece of armor was water-soaked, the flames would be extinguished even if an arrow penetrated its heavily saturated surface.

How does this apply to us as believers? Well, Romans 10:17 says that our faith is increased by hearing the Word of God. In Ephesians 5:26, the Word of God is likened to water. So as we regularly submit ourselves to the Word of God, we soak our faith with the Word just as a Roman soldier soaked his shield with water. And when our faith becomes Word-saturated or Word-soaked, it becomes just like the soldier’s water-saturated shield. In other words, it will be so heavily inundated with the water of God’s Word that even if a fiery dart pierces our shield, the huge amount of Word in us will extinguish the flames and put out a potentially damaging situation!

The words “fiery darts” are from the Greek word belos. It referred to an arrow with its tip wrapped with fabric soaked in flammable fluids so it would burn with hot and angry flames. The famous Greek writer Thycidides used this Greek word belos to depict specially-made, long, slender arrows that outwardly looked harmless; however, the hollow interior of the arrow was filled with flammable fluids that, upon impact, exploded into a raging fire. This last arrow is most likely the picture that Paul had in his mind when he wrote about the “…fiery darts of the wicked.”

Often when the devil strikes, his attack looks inconsequential at first, like harmless little arrows that can do little damage. But when those arrows strike into the heart or emotions, they often explode and set human passions aflame, causing a minor issue to develop into a fierce, flaming situation. The damage done in such a moment is very serious — and all of it could have been avoided if the shield of faith had been held high and regularly doused in the water of the Word!

There is no doubt that the devil will try to shoot his arrows in your direction. But having a shield of faith that is soaked in the Word of God gives you double protection against these attacks. It guarantees that the enemy’s fiery darts will have little or no effect, even if they get close enough to strike your heart, mind, or emotions in the midst of the situations you find yourself facing today.

So I urge you today to take the time to soak your faith in the Word of God. Let the water of the Word so saturate your faith that if the enemy tries to launch a surprise attack on you — your health, your finances, your marriage, your children, your family, your church, your business, or your job — he will find that his fiery darts have no impact on your Word-soaked faith shield!

Refuse to let yourself become the devil’s victim! Hold your Word-doused shield of faith high in front of you so it completely covers your life. Then rest assured that no fiery dart of the enemy will make any serious impact on you. That faith shield will protect you from anything the enemy throws at you through the dynamic, explosive power of God!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You for giving me the shield of faith. Help me to be brave and bold and to hold my shield high in front of me to stop every attack of the enemy. After reading today’s Sparkling Gem, I understand that I have a responsibility to soak my faith in Your Word so it can extinguish each and every flaming arrow the devil tries to shoot into my life. I ask You to help me be sincerely committed to making Your Word the top priority in my life — soaking my faith with that Word until it becomes an impenetrable wall of defense against the enemy’s attacks!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that my faith is saturated with the Word of God! The devil may try to attack me, but my faith is held out high in front of me, covering my life completely and extinguishing every flaming arrow the devil attempts to shoot in my direction. My faith is supernaturally energized, and I am empowered to stand against every assault the devil tries to make on my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are you spending enough time in the Word to see that your shield of faith is soaked and saturated with the water of God’s Word? Or is your faith so parched from a lack of the Word that your shield isn’t working anymore?

2. Can you remember a time when a fiery dart struck that would have normally set everything ablaze with negative emotions and destruction — but because your faith was Word-soaked and in place, that attack had very little impact in your life? What was that situation?

3. Have you ever seen a fiery dart from the enemy that released a blaze of destruction when it struck? When you saw it happen, did you realize that the success of the devil’s attack was due to a lack of time in God’s Word?

September 5

Thoroughly Furnished Unto All Good Works!

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
— 2 Timothy 3:17

When I was growing up, my father loved to go fishing. As the years passed and his love for fishing grew more intense, he purchased himself a boat so he could go to the lake and fish at any location he wished. I remember his first boat well. It was just a plain, simple, ordinary boat with nothing but a very small motor and two wooden oars for rowing just in case the motor stopped working.

Like most serious fishermen, my dad wasn’t content with that beginner’s boat very long! He had to have something better, nicer, and more seriously equipped. Soon he swapped his simple boat for a rig that was completely decked out with every imaginable device. It had a huge motor, a trolling motor, a depth-finder, a computerized temperature gauge, and a sophisticated fish locator. Even the anchor was operated by a special electric motor. He finally had the boat of his dreams, loaded with everything he ever could have imagined having on his fishing boat. What an improvement this was from that first very simple, basic boat he had started out with when he first took up fishing as a sport!

Well, believe it or not, when the apostle Paul describes what the Word of God does in our lives in Second Timothy 3:16 and 17, he uses a Greek word that describes a well-decked boat like Dad’s boat. These verses say, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

I want you to notice the phrase “thoroughly furnished” in verse 17. This phrase contains a “gem” that reveals what God’s Word can do if you give it top priority in your life. You’re about to discover that there is no replacement for what God’s Word can do in you and for you!

The phrase “thoroughly furnished” is from the Greek word exartidzo, which means to completely deck out or to fully supply. It was used to depict a ship that had previously been ill-equipped for traveling; but because its owner had decked it out with new equipment and gear, this ship had become thoroughly furnished to sail anywhere in the world. This boat was fully supplied, completely equipped, or thoroughly furnished.

Paul uses this word to tell us that we are not prepared to set sail in life until the Word of God has done its work in our hearts and souls. When we first come to Jesus, we are like the first boat — just beginners who hardly know enough to get by in life. Yes, we’re saved and on the way to Heaven, but we haven’t had enough of the Word placed into us to fully equip us for sailing through all kinds of weather.

You can be sure that you will encounter all kinds of weather in your journey through life — including strong storms. Therefore, if you’re going to make it all the way to your destination, you will need all the equipment and gear you can get!

Paul’s words in Second Timothy 3:17 could be interpreted to mean:

“That the man of God may be perfect — completely outfitted and fully supplied, decked out, furnished, and equipped unto all good works.”

You see, when a believer never reads the Word of God, never meditates on the truths of the Word, and doesn’t regularly renew his mind with the Word of God, he is like a simple boat that isn’t equipped for long-distance sailing. He might be able to make it across a little lake; however, in order to victoriously make it across the sea of life and through all the storms he will encounter along the way, he will need major equipment!

That equipment is imparted to a believer when the Word becomes an integral part of his life. God’s Word working inside his heart and mind actually outfits him, decks him out, equips him, or furnishes him with all the spiritual gear he needs to take the adventurous trip God has planned for his life. With God’s Word fitted tightly in place, that believer is ready to set sail and follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads!

So we have a choice. If we choose to not make God’s Word a priority in our lives, we are still headed to Heaven, but we’re like that first simple, plain, basic boat. In other words, we’re just believers who have only enough spiritual equipment to make it across the little lakes of life. On the other hand, if we choose to take God’s Word deeply into our minds and hearts and then apply it to our lives, that Word will release its supernatural power to transform us from simple, basic believers to super-believers — endowed with everything needed to successfully make the long-distance journey the Holy Spirit has planned for our lives!

So how far do you want to go in life? Your answer will determine how deeply you need to take God’s Word into your heart and mind. If you’re just in this for a little jaunt across a lake, you will be satisfied with a low level of God’s Word in your life. But if you’re planning to take a long, adventurous, exciting faith journey, you better dive into the Word of God. As you do, that anointed Word will deck you out with all the provisions you need to make it all the way to your destination!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for loving me so much that You would give Your Word to equip me for life. I realize that all the answers I need are found in Your Word. I have often complained that I needed more power and wisdom. But the truth is, everything I need is in Your Word. Help me to diligently read my Bible, take it deeply into my heart and soul, and apply it to my life. As I do so, I ask that it would supernaturally release its divine power to transform me from being a simple, basic believer to becoming one who is super-equipped for life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God’s Word has a central place in my life. I regularly read God’s Word and meditate on its truths; therefore, my mind is being renewed with the Word day by day. As a result, that Word decks me out — equipping, outfitting, and furnishing me with all the spiritual gear I need to take the adventurous trip God has planned for my life. With God’s Word fitted tightly in place, I am ready to set sail and follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If you were to appraise your spiritual condition today, would you say you are a simple, basic, unequipped believer, or would you deem yourself well-furnished and excellently equipped in a spiritual sense?

2. In order for you to become spiritually well-equipped, what do you need to start doing that you are not doing right now?

3. If you continue to do exactly what you are doing right now in your spiritual life, how far do you think you are prepared to sail? Are you sufficiently supplied to do anything God asks you to do or to go anywhere He wants to send you?

September 4

Tell-Tale Signs That Bitterness Is Growing in Your Life

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
— Hebrews 12:15

When you find yourself constantly saying something derogatory about someone else, pay attention to what’s happening! What you’re saying about that person is a tell-tale sign that some bad seed is trying to take root in your heart.

Hebrews 12:15 tells us how to recognize bad seed when it begins to produce destructive fruit in our lives. It says, “…lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you….” The words “springing up” are from the Greek word phuoo. This word depicts a little plant that is just starting to sprout and grow. It isn’t a large plant yet; rather, it’s a small seedling that is just breaking through the soil and starting to peek out at the world. However, the very fact that it’s peeking through the soil means there is a seed hidden in the soil producing this new life.

This is a very significant picture. It tells us that bitterness doesn’t overwhelm us all at once. Instead, it grows a little here and a little there until it finally becomes a huge, ugly growth that defiles our entire lives. Bitterness usually starts peeking up out of the depths of our souls in the form of negative thoughts about another person or a sour, sharp, distrusting, cynical attitude toward someone who has offended us. If the root is not quickly uprooted and removed, that bitterness will eventually become a full-blown tree that produces bitter, wounding, hurtful, and scornful fruit for everyone who eats of it.

Hebrews 12:15 shouts its warning: If you don’t stop these attitudes, they will eventually “trouble you.” The words “trouble you” are from the Greek word enochleo, which means to trouble, to harass, or to annoy. It refers to something inside that bothers and upsets you so much, you are constantly pestered by thoughts about it. In fact, your whole life is stalked by these hassling, troubling thoughts. What you allowed to take root and to fester inside your soul has now become a major nuisance to your peace, keeping you upset and emotionally torn up all the time.

If you relate to the questions I just asked you, then watch out! It may mean that a root of bitterness is growing inside you and that bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness are starting to hound and stalk you wherever you go!

You need to get a grip on yourself and let the Holy Spirit help you permanently rid yourself of these feelings; otherwise, you’ll end up troubled, annoyed, and terribly upset. You’ll lose your peace, forfeit your joy, and toss aside your victory. Friend, you don’t want to take this path! It’s too painful, too hurtful, and costs you too much in your walk with God.

So if you find yourself constantly saying something derogatory about someone else, pay attention to what’s happening! That is a tell-tale sign that some bad seed is trying to take root in your heart that could potentially grow into a major issue that hassles your whole life. Don’t let it happen! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you jerk out those roots from the soil of your heart so you can stay free!

The Holy Spirit is willing, ready, and waiting to help you grab hold of those roots of bitterness and pull them clear out of your life. All He needs is your invitation, so why don’t you go ahead and ask Him to assist you right now?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to please forgive me for allowing negative thoughts about others to consume me. Even though I don’t like what they did to me, I have no right to be bitter and resentful. I realize now that I am acting just as ugly inwardly as they acted outwardly. In Your eyes, my sin is just as bad as theirs. I am truly sorry for allowing these attitudes to grow inside me, Lord. To the best of my ability, I turn right now from the wrong thoughts that have been consuming me, and I choose instead to speak well of those who have offended or hurt me. Holy Spirit, help me uproot those wrong feelings from my heart and replace them with love and forgiveness.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that my heart is free of bitterness, resentment, strife, and unforgiveness. God’s Spirit lives in me, and He doesn’t allow me to keep living with wrong attitudes in my life. He speaks to me when I begin to think poorly of others; He convicts me of every wrong attitude; and He helps me bring my thoughts under His control. Because my mind and emotions are controlled by the Spirit of God, I think only positive thoughts about those who are near or around me. If any negative thoughts about someone else try to enter my mind, the Holy Spirit quickly helps me recognize them and bring correction to the way I am thinking!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Is there one particular person or group of people you find yourself constantly speaking badly about? Why do you feel the need to speak so derogatorily about that person or group? What does this reveal about the condition of your own heart?

2. Has God been trying to deal with you about your attitude toward that person or group of people? Be honest!

3. Would you have to honestly admit this bitterness or unforgiveness has affected the level of joy you once experienced in the Lord? It’s difficult to be filled with joy when you are “eaten up” on the inside with negative thoughts about someone else. If you are being hounded by hassling thoughts, what do you plan to do about your condition?

September 3

Here’s What To Do if the Devil Is Trying To Devour You!

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
— 1 Peter 5:8

Has the devil ever tried to use your past against you? Maybe he’s told you, “You’re in this mess because of your own actions! Don’t even try to ask God to help you because you got into this mess by yourself, and now you’re going to have to get out of it by yourself! God won’t help you, because you’re reaping exactly what you’ve sown!”

If you’ve ever heard these kinds of accusations from the devil, then First Peter 5:8 is just for you! It says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

The word “vigilant” comes from the Greek word gregoreo, which means to be on your guard, to be watchful, or to be attentive. This word primarily denotes the watchful attitude of one who is on the lookout to make certain no enemy or aggressor can successfully gain entry into his life or place of residence.

This tells us that we must be on high alert against an enemy who is seeking to gain access to our lives. The Greek tense for the word “vigilant” means to be continually, perpetually vigilant. That means this is not a one-time act of vigilance, but the attitude of a person who is unwavering in his commitment. This person has resolved that he will never let up in his pledge to be watchful, wide awake, and on the lookout to make sure some sinister force doesn’t successfully sneak up to attack and overtake him.

The fact that Peter uses the word gregoreo lets us know that the devil can be pretty sneaky in the way he attacks. Therefore, we must be constantly observant to keep the devil out of our affairs.

Peter goes on to say, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary….” That word “adversary” is from the Greek word antidikos. This word was used in New Testament times for a lawyer who argued in a court of law. This was the picture of a prosecutor who brought offenders to court, argued vehemently against them, and then sent them off to prison. Now Peter uses this word to depict the way the devil may try to overtake us!

Peter is telling us that when the devil strikes, he often acts like a lawyer who tries to bring us down by prosecuting us with the facts of our past sins and mistakes. The enemy drags up facts from the past and reminds us of our former failures; then he vigorously tries to convince us that we deserve to be in the mess we are in. If the devil is successful in his prosecution, he will persuade us to believe that we are unrighteous and unworthy and that we deserve as just punishment whatever difficulties he is throwing our way.

It is unfortunate that many believers assist the devil in his efforts to prosecute them by being irresponsible or negligent in key areas of their lives. For instance, many people have money problems because they have spent too much money or used their credit cards way beyond the limit of what they could afford. Others get sick in the wintertime because they go outside without proper clothing. Marriages get into trouble because the spouses never spend time together or do anything to nurture their relationships. Christians like to blame the devil for everything that happens, but the truth is, people usually help out the enemy a little along the way!

Praise God, when we sin and do wrong, His grace is there to forgive and to restore us! But the devil is also there. The enemy remembers every innocent mistake made along the way, and like a prosecutor or “adversary” (the Greek word antidikos), he comes to accuse you. Like a lawyer, he argues his points in your mind, saying:

Sometimes the devil is accurate in what he tells you. It may be true that you created this mess! You really may have messed up your friendships by not being a faithful friend. You may have spent too much money, and the financial trouble you’re in now may very well be your own fault! All the devil’s accusations may be true. Believe me, he isn’t going to make up some absurd fantasy that won’t affect you. The devil is going to try to use facts and arguments that make sense to you so you’ll agree with him!

But you must never forget what David told us: The Lord is the One who redeems our lives from destruction (Psalm 103:4). He is a restoring, delivering, redeeming God! He wants to snatch you out of the power of darkness and get you over into His realm of life and light where past sin won’t continue to exert its influences upon you (Colossians 1:13)! You just need to genuinely repent of past mistakes, get your heart right with God, and then tell the devil to flee!

If you keep dwelling on the accusations that the enemy is speaking against you in your mind, you’ll find yourself in trouble pretty quickly. Peter goes on to tell you why this is so: “…The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Have you ever heard lions when they are hungry? They roar so loudly that the sound is nearly deafening. Peter says that this is what it’s like when the devil starts attacking your mind. Your mind is so filled with the roars of the enemy’s accusations that you can’t hear anything else but those lies. He tells you over and over, “You’re going to fail…fail…fail…fail…FAIL!!!” Even when people try to tell you the truth, it’s hard to hear what they’re saying because those lies are roaring so loudly in your mind and ears!

If you keep giving ear to the devil’s accusations, he will keep you all torn up inside and in a constant state of turmoil. In fact, Peter says he will “devour” you. The word “devour” is the Greek word pino, which means to drink, to lick, or to slurp up, as a lion might lick the blood of his prey off the ground. The devil wants to turn you into a mess of liquid emotions and then lick you up until there’s nothing left of your life. That’s what he wants to do with you — but you don’t have to let him do it!

When you put all these words together, First Peter 5:8 could be interpreted:

“You must be constantly alert and on your guard! The devil, like an accusing lawyer, will try to charge you with all kinds of arguments and accusations. You need to know that he is like a lion on the prowl — constantly walking around, roaring with a deafening sound, earnestly seeking the kind of person he can completely consume and slurp up!”

You don’t have to fall victim to the devil’s attacks! Peter tells us, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:9). If you’ll resist the devil, you can run him clear out of your mind and your life. He doesn’t know how to deal with those who stand up to him, so he runs in fear when a believer challenges him! And if you feel too weak to resist the devil by yourself, I would advise you to find people who know how to pray and let them help you!

Has the devil been harassing you about anything in particular? Are you tired of this constant harassment? If so, it’s time for you to stand up, throw back your shoulders, and command him to leave in Jesus’ name! Then determine to stay alert and watchful, constantly on your guard. You can be sure that the enemy will try to come back to accuse you again — but next time, you’ll be ready for him!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am asking You to help me take authority over the accusations that the devil has been speaking in my mind. He’s been telling me all the reasons that I shouldn’t have any hope and that I deserve to be in this mess. But Your grace is greater than any mistake I’ve made or sin I’ve committed in the past! I know that You have forgiven me and redeemed me from any mess I’ve created by my own actions. I thank You now for Your forgiveness and mercy, and today I lay claim to the power of restoration! Devil, right now I command you to leave me in Jesus’ name! I refuse to listen to your accusations any longer!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare that I have confessed all my past sins and mistakes. Therefore, I am forgiven; I am clean; and I am free in the sight of the Lord. He does not hold my past against me. He is my Redeemer, my Restorer, my Deliverer, and my Salvation. His Spirit is operating in me right now to get me out of every mess I have created, both intentionally and unintentionally. My heart is repentant, and my desire is to do what is right. Therefore, God is helping me walk out of the problems that have tried to grip my mind and my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are there areas in your life in which the devil is trying to drag up the past so he can accuse you and convince you that you deserve the attacks that are coming against you right now?

2. Have you taken the time to sincerely repent for those past sins and mistakes before the Lord? Or did you just quickly admit you sinned, never allowing the Holy Spirit to deal with you deeply about these matters?

3. If the devil has been roaring in your mind, consider what steps you can take to stop those roaring accusations, such as listening to praise and worship music or teaching tapes, meditating on the Word, etc. What other steps can you take to silence the enemy’s accusations?