When Mary Brought Jesus A Lavishly Expensive Gift
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
— John 12:3
How a person spends his money tells a lot about his priorities in life. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Jesus’ teaching is very clear: What a person does with his money reveals what is inside his heart. For example, someone may say he loves the local church. But if he never gives one cent to the church, the principle stated in Matthew 6:21 says his heart is not in the church, no matter what he says. Where is his treasure? If his treasure isn’t in the church, his heart isn’t in the church either.
I may say I love the Lord, but if I don’t tithe as the Lord commands, what does it say about me? I’m either ignorant about tithing, or my words are cheap. If I really loved the Lord, my money would reflect that I love Him. I would tithe.
Words are cheap and easily spoken. Anyone can say he loves his church. But when a person sacrifices and gives to the church, he is demonstrating that his words are real. His heart really is in the church.
If a person never gives to the church, it reveals that he either has no money or that he’s a liar. Of course, a person who has no money will find it difficult to give. But if he does have money and doesn’t give, his words and actions don’t match. When he spends his extra money on all kinds of material junk and then drops a few dollars into the offering, he’s telling the true story! He loves his junk more than he loves the church.
Or consider a man who says he loves his wife but never gives her any money or special gifts to demonstrate that love. Yet somehow that same man is able to find the money to go fishing, buy a fishing boat, go work out at the gym with the guys, and so on. What has he demonstrated? He loves himself more than he loves his wife. That’s why he’s spending his treasure on himself.
How many men have told their wives, “I love you, Sweetheart” and then spent all their extra money on themselves? Then the wife is told that there just isn’t any money available to do what she wants to do. How does it make the wife feel when her husband does this to her time after time? He can say, “I love you” all he wants, but she knows he really loves himself. What he does with his money tells the real story.
Jesus made it very clear that where a person’s treasure is — where his money is — that’s where his heart will be also. So if you really want to know where a person’s heart is, follow his money and you’ll find out. Again I say, money tells the truth!
In John 12, Jesus and His disciples were having dinner in the home of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. This family was very close to Jesus during His earthly ministry. At that dinner, Mary showed her love by bringing Jesus an extremely expensive gift. The Bible tells us that Mary brought Jesus a gift of ointment of spikenard — in fact, she brought Him an entire pound of it!
The word “spikenard” comes from the Greek word nardos, which describes one of the most expensive perfumes that existed at that time. Let me tell you a little about spikenard so you can appreciate what Mary did for Jesus that day.
Spikenard was an uncommon perfume extracted from grasses that grew in the country of India. Once the juices were squeezed out of the grass, they were dried into a hard, lardlike substance. Turning that lardlike substance into perfume was a very lengthy and costly process. If you add to this the cost of transporting spikenard from India to other parts of the world, you can see why this particular perfume cost so much money.
Spikenard was so expensive that few people could buy it; most had to buy one of the many cheap imitations available. But the word used in John 12:3 tells us that Mary didn’t bring Jesus a cheap imitation; she brought Jesus the real thing — an ointment so valuable that it was normally reserved and used only as gifts for kings and nobility. This was the gift Mary brought to Jesus.
We can learn more about the value of Mary’s gift in John 12:3, where it says the ointment was “very costly.” This phrase “very costly” is from the Greek word polutimos, a compound of the words polus and timios. The word polus means much or great. The word timios means to honor; to respect; or worth. Together these words describe something that is of great worth or something that is of considerable financial value.
We’d call this “top-of-the-line giving”! As remarkable as it is that Mary even possessed a gift this valuable, what she did with this perfume once she brought it is even more phenomenal! John 12:3 says, “Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus.…”
When Mary took the lid off that expensive bottle, tipped it downward, and began to pour that precious ointment onto Jesus’ feet, everyone in the room must have gasped! This kind of perfume was not normally used for feet! Rather, it was the kind of ointment used to anoint the heads of kings and dignitaries. Mary’s actions would have been considered a horrible waste in most people’s minds, but that wasn’t how she saw it. Mary loved, appreciated, and valued the feet of the Master!
Isaiah 52:7 describes why Mary felt this way: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”
You see, no other feet in the entire world were more beautiful to Mary than the feet of Jesus. Jesus had changed her life. Jesus had brought her brother back from the dead (see John 11:32-44). Jesus had brought new meaning into her family. To Mary, every step Jesus took was precious, honored, and greatly valued.
Remember, Jesus taught, “…Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34). Mary’s actions revealed her heart as she poured her most valuable treasure onto the feet of Jesus. She deeply loved Jesus, and she showed it with the gift that she brought to Him.
John 12:3 continues to tell us that she “…wiped his feet with her hair.…” After she poured the spikenard onto Jesus’ feet, Mary reached up to her head and untied her long, beautiful hair, gathering it in her hands. Then she leaned down and began to wipe Jesus’ feet dry with her hair.
In the days of the New Testament, a woman’s hair represented her glory and honor. The apostle Paul referred to this in First Corinthians 11:15 when he wrote that a woman’s hair was a “glory” to her. For Mary to undo her hair and use it as a towel to wipe Jesus’ feet was probably the greatest act of humility she could have shown. She was demonstrating how deeply she loved and how greatly she valued Jesus. She didn’t throw a financial offering at His feet, but she possessed an attitude of worship as she gave Jesus the best gift she had to offer.
I can imagine the tears that streamed down Mary’s cheeks as she touched those precious feet. In total humility, she dried Jesus’ feet with the glory and honor of her hair. John 12:3 tells us that “…the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” Certainly the house would be filled with the odor of spikenard once Mary poured an entire pound of that expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet!
Considering how much spikenard cost, this was an enormous amount for Mary to use to anoint Jesus’ feet. In fact, Judas Iscariot indignantly asked Jesus, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). The Greek word for a “pence” is denarius. In that day, a Roman denarius was one day’s salary. So when Judas announced that the spikenard could have been sold for three hundred pence, he was saying that Mary’s perfume was worth three hundred days of salary. That is why I say it was an extremely expensive gift! It was worth almost an entire year’s income!
If it’s true that what a person does with his money tells a lot about his priorities in life, Mary’s gift that day revealed that Jesus was her highest priority. What does your giving reveal about how much you love Jesus?
You see, it may sound very simple, but it is a fact that if you follow a person’s money, you’ll discover what is or isn’t important to that person’s life. Look at a person’s finances, and in just a matter of minutes you can tell what he values most in life. The way he spends his money will tell the whole story of what he prizes, cherishes, loves, and adores.
Of course, everyone has basic needs of life that require money, such as food, electricity, gas for the car, and so on. But once these things are paid, what a person does with the money that’s left over will tell you what he esteems more highly than anything else. This may sound like a very narrow teaching about money, but this is exactly what Jesus meant when He said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Since this is the case, what does the way you spend your money reveal about you?
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me be honest about what my finances reveal about me. I don’t want anything else in my life to have a higher priority than You, so please teach me how to demonstrate my love for You with my finances. Help me to really worship You with my financial gifts and not to just casually throw them into an offering plate. Forgive me for the times I’ve said I didn’t have enough money to give to the church or to missions, yet somehow I found a way to spend money on all kinds of material things. My priorities have obviously been wrong, so today I repent. I have made up my mind that I am going to honor You with my finances as I ought to do.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am growing more and more faithful in the giving of my tithes and offerings. Jesus Christ and the preaching of the Gospel are the greatest priorities in my life. Therefore, when I get paid, the first thing I do is set aside my tithe for the church and my offering for world missions and other worthy ministries. As I learn to love Jesus even more, my financial gifts are increasing as well. My treasure is in Jesus and the Gospel, because that is exactly where my heart is fixed.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What does your monthly expenditure of money tell you about what you value most highly in life?
2. If Jesus looked at your finances to make an analysis of what you prized most highly, what would He find? You might as well be honest about it, because He already knows!
3. What changes do you need to make in your heart and expenditures to reflect that your heart is first and foremost in the Kingdom of God?
Recognize and Respect Your Limitations!
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
— Romans 12:3
Have you ever been so anxious to do something big and powerful that you rashly offered to do a job you later discovered was way above and beyond your abilities?
One summer when I was a university student, I was hired by a man who had a lot of confidence in my writing abilities. His firm was creating highly specialized computer programs for a steel corporation. They needed a good writer to document all the steps they were taking, so he hired me to write these reports. At that time I had never worked on a computer, nor did I know anything about computers. Therefore, I obviously didn’t have a clue about what I was getting into when I agreed to take that job!
Soon I found myself seated in an executive office filled with computer programmers who spoke computer jargon that I had never heard in my life! This was a long time before people owned personal computers. Most common people had never placed their fingers on a computer — including me! And here I was, assigned to write a lengthy report about these extremely specialized computer programs. It only took a couple of hours for me to figure out I was the wrong person in the wrong place!
Finally, I had to say, “Hey, could someone please help me? I don’t mind doing the job, but I can’t do it without help.” As it turned out, I asked them to reposition me in another job where I felt more qualified. I simply wasn’t able to do the job because I wasn’t equipped for the task. In the second position, I worked very well and was very successful. Had I refused to admit that the first assignment was too much for me, it would have been a very long summer of frustration for both me and my employers.
If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar place, you know it’s overwhelming to be in so far over your head. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’ve been put in a position you aren’t qualified to take. It can be so difficult for the flesh to admit that it can’t do a job. Yet there is such great wisdom and peace in learning to recognize and respect your limitations!
This is why the apostle Paul told the Romans, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
If anyone could have thought highly of himself, it would have been Paul, yet he admonishes believers that a person should not “…think of himself more highly than he ought to think….” This phrase comes from the Greek word huperphroneo, which is a compound of the words huper and phroneo. The word huper means above, beyond, or way over the top, and the word phroneo means to think or to consider.
When these two words are compounded into one word, it means that Paul is urging us not to over-think about ourselves, or not to think over-confidently about our abilities. Instead, he commands us to think “soberly.” The word “soberly” is the Greek word sophroneo, which means to think sensibly; to think reasonably; to think realistically; to think rationally; to think practically; to keep in proper measure; or not to think beyond the set boundaries.
One Greek expositor says this word means to recognize your limits and respect them. In other words, don’t pretend to be more than you are! Recognize your God-given abilities and use them. But when you come to the edge of your limitations, be willing to say, “This is too much for me.”
If you act like you can do everything, you’re going to find it quite humiliating when you fail miserably in front of everyone. So instead of thinking too highly of yourself and attempting to take on tasks and projects that are too daunting for you, realize that some jobs are meant to be assigned to someone else. You need to be very realistic about your limitations. If you have tackled a job that is too big for you, there is nothing wrong with admitting that someone else should take over the project.
If you refuse to admit you’re over your head because you don’t want to be embarrassed, you’ll probably end up a whole lot more embarrassed later on when everyone else has to tell you that you can’t do the job! When you fail and fall flat on your face, you’ll regret that you didn’t say, “I think someone else can do this job better than I can. This is simply not where I’m most gifted. Does anyone else on this team want to help me out with this project?”
When Paul said we were “…to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith,” he was reminding us that there are other gifted members of the Body of Christ, and we must make room for their gifts as much as ours. God has gifted His entire Body with faith, spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities. Therefore, rather than try to do it all, which we can’t do anyway, we need to learn to think “soberly.” In other words, we’re to recognize our limitations and allow other people to be used by God too!
This principle applies to the church, to the workplace, to school, and to every other sphere of life. Yes, we should respect our own gifts, talents, and callings from God, but we should also respect the fact that it takes all of us to get a job done! So learn to recognize and respect your limitations — and learn to embrace others who are just as needed as you are!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me recognize and respect my gifts and limitations. Forgive me for the times I’ve been too prideful to admit I was in over my head and as a result did an inferior job. I’m so sorry I didn’t step out of the way so someone else who was gifted for the job could take my place. Help me specialize in those areas where I feel confident that I will be a blessing. Teach me to embrace and appreciate those who are more gifted than I am in other areas.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I think soberly about myself and about my gifts and abilities. I thank God for the gifts and talents He has placed in my life, but I also recognize and respect my limitations. Just as I appreciate my own gifts and abilities, I am also grateful for those who are more gifted than I am in other areas. I need them; I embrace them; and I appreciate what they have to contribute. I can’t achieve alone what can be accomplished in partnership with others. Therefore, I choose to partner my gifts and talents with the God-given gifts and talents in other people.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you ever found yourself in a job or position that was way over your head? Did you feel like you were drowning, desperate to find a way out of your commitment without being embarrassed? If your answer is yes, what did you do to remedy the situation?
2. Have you ever seen someone in leadership whom everyone else on the team knew was in a position that was way too high for him? Did that person struggle, make mistakes, or constantly try to cover up his lack of ability?
3. If the team members recognized the source of the problem with their struggling leader, how did that knowledge affect their attitude toward him?
Don’t Give Place to the Devil!
Neither give place to the devil.
— Ephesians 4:27
You and I never have to fall prey to the devil! If we can shut every door, close every window, and seal every place in our lives through which the enemy would try to access us, we can prevent him from getting into the middle of our affairs.
One of the “entry points” the devil tries to use to enter our lives is relationships. If there is an unresolved issue or an ugly conflict with a loved one or friend, these conflict points often become entry points through which the devil tries to get a foothold in our relationships with those we love. Once the enemy is able to slip in through one of these “cracks” and build an offended place in our minds, then a wall has already begun to be constructed that will eventually separate us from the people we need and love the most.
In Ephesians 4:27, the apostle Paul writes, “Neither give place to the devil.” The word “place” is the Greek word topos. It refers to a specific, marked-off, geographical location. It carries the idea of a territory, province, region, zone, or geographical position. It is from this word that we get the word for a topographical map. Because the word topos depicts a geographical location, this lets us know that the devil is after every region and zone of our lives — money, health, marriage, relationships, employment, business, and ministry. He is so territorial that he wants it all. But to start his campaign to conquer all those areas of our lives, he must first find an entry point from which he can begin his campaign of unleashing his devilish destruction in our lives.
We often throw open the door to the devil when we:
- Refuse to let go of old hurts and wounds.
- Refuse to acknowledge what we did wrong.
- Refuse to forgive others for what they did.
- Refuse to stop judging others for their grievances.
- Refuse to admit we were wrong too.
- Refuse to say, “I’m sorry” when we’re wrong.
- Refuse to lay down our “rights” for others.
If you and I do any of these things, we leave a “marked-off place” through which the devil can enter to accuse others in our minds. But we don’t have to fall victim to the enemy’s tactics. We can say, “No, you’re not going to do this!”
We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ, so we don’t have to let the devil run all over us. The Bible boldly declares, “…Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The apostle Paul told us, “Neither give place to the devil.” The Greek makes it clear that we must choose to give the devil no territory. You see, we have a choice: We can choose to “give the enemy place” in our minds and emotions, or we can choose to walk in the Spirit. If we choose the lower road, we will end up doing and saying things we later regret. Those regretful things are usually what opens the door for the devil to wreak havoc in our relationships.
I’m thinking specifically of a day I got very upset with one of our employees. I received information about one department of our ministry that really upset me. What upset me even more was that I believed one of our employees had known about this problem but hadn’t conveyed the full truth to me about it. I scheduled a meeting to talk to that person the next morning to discuss this situation. That night as I lay in bed, I began to think about the problem we were facing. The longer I thought about it, the more angry I became that I hadn’t been fully informed about the details as I should have been. I could feel a flash of heat pass through me as I kept pondering what to do next.
As I lay there in that bed, I began to take up an offense with this leader in our ministry. Once the devil got that foothold in my mind and emotions, it was as if a door had suddenly swung wide open for the devil to come in and begin accusing and slandering that precious employee to me. I tossed and turned all night long. I knew I could lay this issue down and walk in peace, or I could let it build in my mind until I became a walking time bomb. I chose to hold on to it and let it fester throughout the night.
The next morning when our meeting began, I exploded! My thinking was so distorted by the devil’s ravings in my mind all night that I couldn’t hear anything being said. I was livid with this employee. This employee couldn’t even say anything, as I never even gave her ten seconds to respond to my accusations.
Later when the whole ordeal was over, I discovered that every detail of the problem had already been fully communicated to me. But I had been so busy at the time that I didn’t even remember the conversation. Others on the staff remembered it very well. It was my fault that I didn’t know and not hers.
I was so embarrassed that I had lost my temper. I asked my staff members for forgiveness, and they were spiritual enough to forgive me and allow me to be a man with real human frailties. Thank God, our long-term relationship and commitment to work as a team overrides moments of human weakness that all of us display at one time or another.
But there are many people who don’t know how to recover from conflicts such as this one. Rather than face the situation head-on and either apologize or openly forgive, they hold their failure or their offense in their hearts, never forgetting it and never getting beyond it.
On the particular day that I exploded in anger, it was I who “gave place to the devil.” As I tossed and turned in that bed the night before, I knew I was making a choice. I pondered the problem so long that I let anger well up inside of me and make my decision for me.
What about you? Have you ever given place to the devil by allowing anger, resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness to have a “place” in you?
But let’s look at the word “devil” for a moment. The word “devil” comes from the Greek word diabolos, an old compound word that is made from the words dia and ballo. This name is used sixty-one times in the New Testament. The first part of the word is the prefix dia, which means through and often carries the idea of penetration. Because dia is used at the first of this word, it tells us that the devil wants to make some kind of penetration.
We’ve already seen that the devil is looking for an entry point. Once a point has been located through which he can secretly slip into people’s lives, he begins penetrating the mind and emotions to drive a wedge between those individuals and the other people in their lives. The enemy’s objective is to separate them from each other with his railing, accusing, slanderous accusations.
You’ll know when the accuser has gone to work in your mind because your whole perspective about the person you are upset with suddenly changes. You become nit-picky, negative, and fault-finding. You used to have high regard for that person, but now you can’t see anything good about him at all. It’s as if you’ve put on a special set of eyeglasses that are specially designed to reveal all his wicked, ugly, horrid details. Even if you do see something good in him, all the bad you see outweighs the good.
This is clear evidence that the work of the “accuser” has found an entry point to penetrate your relationship with that other person. He is trying to disrupt what has been a pleasant and gratifying relationship in your life. Don’t allow that conflict, disagreement, or disappointment to cause you to pick up a wrong attitude that will ruin your relationship. That’s exactly what the devil wants you to do!
Rather than allow this to happen, stop and tell yourself, Okay, this isn’t as big of a deal as I’m making it out to be. The devil is trying to find a place in my mind to get me to start mentally accusing that person, and I’m not going to let him do it.
Instead of meditating on all the bad points of that person, look in the mirror yourself! Consider how many times you’ve let down other people; how many mistakes you’ve made in your relationships; the times you should have been held accountable but instead were shown unbelievable mercy. Remembering these things has a way of making you look at an offensive situation a little more mercifully.
Ask the Holy Spirit to take the criticism out of your heart and to cause the love of God in you to flow toward that other person or group of people. Pray for an opportunity to strengthen that relationship so all the entry places to your life and to that relationship remain sealed. Stop the devil from worming his way into the middle of your relationships with people you need and love!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I ask You to help me keep the doors to my heart and soul closed to the devil! I know he would like to slip into my relationships and ruin them, so I am asking You to help me stay free of offense, free of unforgiveness, and free of bitterness. I realize these wrong attitudes create “entry points” through which the devil tries to gain territory in my relationships. I don’t want to give the devil a foothold in my affairs through a wrong attitude. So I’m asking You, Lord, to help me identify every wrong feeling or attitude in my life that the devil could use to ruin relationships with people I need and love.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I walk in forgiveness! Offense, bitterness, strife, and unforgiveness have no place in my life. The Spirit of God dwells in me, and He always convicts me of wrong attitudes that the devil could potentially use to bind me. I love Jesus, and I want to please Him; therefore, I refuse to allow these destructive attitudes to remain in me. I am full of mercy, longsuffering, and slow to anger. All of these qualities keep me safe and secure from the devil’s attempts to invade me.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you recall a time when the devil got you all upset over something that wasn’t really such a big deal? Did he stir you up so much that you couldn’t sleep; you couldn’t think straight; and you said or did things that you later regretted?
2. What did you learn from that experience? Did you see how the devil operates to toss you into a tizzy, steal your peace, and harm your relationships? If yes, how have you learned to keep the door closed so He can’t access you this way again?
3. If you were counseling someone else who was struggling with a similar problem, how would you counsel that person to keep his heart free of bitterness, anger, or strife?
What Triggers a Demonic Attack?
Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things….
— 2 Timothy 1:11,12
What triggers demonic attacks against you, your dream, your vision, your calling, your business, your family, your church, or your ministry? What makes the devil so upset that he rises up to resist you and your efforts? If God chose you, why are you experiencing so many hassles and difficulties along the way to your goal of fulfilling all He has called you to do?
In Second Timothy 1:11 and 12, Paul gives us incredible insight into what triggers a demonic attack. He says, “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things.…” In this verse, Paul writes about his specific calling in the Body of Christ. He affirms to us that he is called and appointed to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. Then notice that he immediately follows by saying, “For the which cause I also suffer these things…” (2 Timothy 1:12).
The word “suffer” is the Greek word pascho, and first and foremost it means to suffer as a result of outside forces or outside circumstances. It could include physical suffering due to persecution; mental suffering due to outside pressures; financial suffering due to monetary hardships; or any inconvenience that stems from something outside of oneself or outside of one’s control. Thus, the word pascho would depict any suffering or inconvenience due to forces beyond oneself.
When Paul wrote this verse, he used a tense in the Greek that lets us know he was experiencing these inconveniences at the very moment he was writing this epistle. At that time, Paul was in Rome, sitting in a prison cell, awaiting his own execution, and being accused of crimes that he had not committed. Because Satan couldn’t find a way to personally destroy Paul, the enemy was manipulating outside forces against Paul and his ministry. The apostle’s situation had been created by outside pressures that had nothing to do with himself but that the devil had orchestrated to use against him.
Satan was terrified of Paul’s calling! The reason Paul was recurrently attacked is that the devil was fearful of the enormous progress Paul would make if he didn’t face opposition. Paul let us know that his anointing, his calling, and his potential were the factors that triggered these demonic attacks. It’s almost as though Paul was saying, “Do you want to know why I’ve suffered so many crazy things during the course of my ministry? Because I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”
You see, Satan was scared stiff of what would happen if Paul operated 100 percent in his call. How much would he be able to accomplish if he had no resistance? If Paul was able to do the incredible things he did for God’s Kingdom in the face of such opposition, what kind of Gospel advancements would he make if there was no opposition? This thought was so chilling to the devil that he threw every possible obstacle in Paul’s path to slow him down, to discredit him, to destroy his friendships, and, if possible, to even kill him. Satan hated the call on Paul’s life.
The reason Paul was never defeated by these attacks is that he had made a decision. He decided he would not stop or give up until he had apprehended that for which Christ Jesus had apprehended him (Philippians 3:12). Likewise, the only way you’ll be able to resist the devil’s attacks and successfully achieve all God has called you to do is by determining never to stop until you have accomplished your divine assignment. Jesus taught that those who “endure to the end” are the ones who will receive the prize (Matthew 24:13).
If you want to overcome all the attacks the devil tries to wage against you through outside forces, you will have to be determined to outlast every attack! Determination is a key factor in finishing one’s race of faith.
Of course, no one can successfully resist the devil’s attacks without the power of the Holy Spirit, but neither is the power of the Holy Spirit enough by itself. For that power to be effective, it must work in a committed person. God’s power works in people who have resolve. It works proficiently through people who have decided they will never turn back until the assignment is finished. God delights in using people who are steadfast and unmoving in their conviction, tenacious and diehard in their commitment. He takes pleasure in those who have stamina, spunk, and a dogged determination to hold on to the vision He put in their hearts.
The most common reason people don’t make it all the way to the end is that they weren’t totally committed to completing the task assigned to them. Maybe they tried it or gave it a shot, but their commitment wasn’t strong enough, and that’s why they didn’t make it.
There are many things Satan can do to try to elbow us out of the race, but the only one who can decide to quit is you or me. Satan can’t make us quit. That choice lies in our hands alone.
If you make the decision to stay in faith and “slug it out” with the power of God at your side, you can do exactly what God called you to do. But you must begin with a rock-solid, hard-core decision to do it, do it, and keep doing it until it’s done. Make any lesser choice, and you will never fulfill your God-given purpose.
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me stay focused on my calling and remain determined to do what You’ve told me to do, even if I am assaulted by outside forces that seem to be beyond my control. I know the devil hopes to slow me down or even to stop me by orchestrating outside pressures to come against me. But I also know that Your Spirit works mightily in me, giving me all the power I need to resist every assault the devil tries to bring against me. Help me to be completely determined and committed to keep pushing ahead and to never let go until I’ve accomplished my God-given mission!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly confess that I will not stop or give up until I have apprehended that for which Christ Jesus apprehended me! I will resist the devil’s attacks and successfully achieve all God has called me to do, for I have determined that I will never stop until I have finished the task. I have the stamina, spunk, and doggedness it takes to get the job done. I have made the decision to stay in faith and slug it out with the power of God at my side. I can and will do exactly what God called me to do!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What are the outside forces that Satan has tried to use to hinder you? Has it been your health, your job, your children, your family, your finances? What is the one thing Satan seems to use repeatedly as he tries to resist you?
2. When you are aware that the devil is trying to use events, circumstances, or people to slow you down or to distract you from your calling, how do you respond to these attacks? What steps do you take to overcome them and to stay on track?
3. Do you seek the strength and counsel of other believers when these attacks occur, or do you usually slug it out silently on your own? Judging by the outcome when you go through these difficult times alone, do you think you need to seek the strength and counsel of others more often?
Look at What You’ve Been Given In Jesus Christ!
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
— John 1:12
You have been given so much in Jesus Christ! You have no legitimate reason for failing to be an awesome success in life, because you have so much going for you! In fact, you have much more going for you than you could possibly imagine. Today let me encourage you with just a few of the things you’ve been given in Jesus Christ!
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This verse reveals that you received divine power the day you became a child of God. The word “power” is the Greek word exousia. It describes delegated authority or influence. The day you chose to make Jesus your Lord and Savior is the day He delegated to you the power and authority to become a child of God. Think of it — at that moment of decision, all the power, authority, and divine influence that is resident within the mighty name of Jesus Christ came to live on the inside of you!
So rather than complain that you’re weak and nothing special, it’s time to start laying claim to what is stored up inside you! The same explosive, dynamic, phenomenal authority and power that resides within Jesus has now been delegated to reside in you!
As if that wasn’t already enough, Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This verse says you’re a brand-new creature if you are in Christ Jesus. The word “new” is from the Greek word kainos, and it describes something that is brand new or recently made. It also carries the idea of something that is superior. This means when Jesus Christ came into your life, you were made brand, spanking new! The new you is superior to the old you! In fact, you are so new that this verse calls you a new “creature.”
The word “creature” is the Greek word ktisis. It is the same word used to describe the creation of the world. When God created the universe, he used no existing materials or old elements to make it. Everything in creation was newly made. Now that same word is used to describe what happened to you the day you got saved. Everything about you is new! You’re not an amended, corrected, improved version of what you used to be. You are an absolutely brand-new creation! You are completely detached from the person you once were before Christ.
Psalm 103:12 tells you how far your old ways have been removed from you: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” When Jesus Christ came into your life, He created you to be free from the past, free from the negative effects of your family, and liberated from all former hang-ups — in short, a brand-new creature!
So stop laying claim to your family’s genetic problems, inheritable sicknesses, dysfunctional behavior, disorders, hang-ups, curses, or any other negative thing that was a part of your life before Christ. That old person no longer exists. He is dead. You are brand new.
But wait — there’s so much more that you’ve been given in Jesus Christ! For instance, Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
The first part of this verse says that you and I are God’s “workmanship.” This comes from the Greek word poiema. The word poiema carries the idea of something that is artfully created. The Greek word for a poet, poietes, comes from this same word. In reference to a poet, this Greek word would denote one who has the extraordinary ability to write or create a literary masterpiece.
Because Paul uses the word poiema to explain what happened when you became a child of God, it emphatically means that on the day you got saved, God put forth His most powerful and creative effort to make you new. Once God was finished making you new, you became a masterpiece, skillfully and artfully created in Christ Jesus. There’s nothing cheap about you at all! God’s creative, artistic, intelligent genius went into your making.
Look how much you’ve been given in Jesus Christ! Don’t you think it’s time to stop moaning about how dumb, stupid, ugly, or untalented you “feel” compared to others? Those “feelings” are all lies. Some of that may have been true before you were born again, but none of it is true of you now that you are in Christ. God turned you into something spectacular. That’s who you are now! So lay claim to your new identity. Adjust your thinking and talking to reflect who you really are!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, forgive me for being so negative and for talking so badly about myself after You have given me so much! I have no excuse for accepting defeat or low self-esteem as a way of life, because You have made me totally new! Help me renew my mind to the truth about who You have made me to be, and help me guard the words of my mouth so that instead of speaking evil of myself, I affirm the truth about who I am in Christ.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that the day I was born again, I received the dynamic, explosive power of God into my life. That power removed my old nature and made me a brand-new creature! Nothing from the old me continues to exist, for I am completely brand new. When God made me, He put forth His finest creative powers, and I now live on this earth as a masterpiece of His grace. God has made me into something quite spectacular!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. In what ways did you notice that you immediately changed after you invited Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life?
2. Do you regularly meditate on who you now are in Jesus Christ, or do you still look at yourself through the eyes of the person you used to be? Do you affirm what Jesus has done in you, or do you “nit-pick” yourself to pieces?
3. How long has it been since you regularly confessed scriptures about your new nature? It’s always healthy to speak the truth to yourself, so why don’t you make the decision that for the next couple of weeks, you are going to confess the truth about who you are in Jesus Christ every morning before your day gets started?
Where Does the Bible Ever Say God Is Looking for Brains?
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; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen….
— 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
If you see yourself as weak, feeble, or unskilled, don’t let that bother you too much. God has been calling feeble and unskilled people from the beginning of time. Few of those whom God has called have been the “cream of the crop” according to the flesh. Again and again, God has chosen people who were ill-esteemed in the eyes of the world when He needed a candidate or a group of people to do a job.
God has always used common people to build His Kingdom. He doesn’t primarily choose famous movie stars or the royalty and nobility of the world to fulfill His plans and purposes on this earth. God’s criteria are different from the criteria of the world. As Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
When God chose Samuel to lead the nation, Samuel was just a young boy. When God looked for someone to kill a giant, He chose a young shepherd boy named David. When the fullness of time came and it was time to send His Son to this earth, God chose a young girl named Mary to give birth to the Savior of the world.
When it was time for Jesus to choose disciples, He didn’t go to the theological institutes or seminaries of the day. Rather, Jesus chose disciples who knew more about fishing and tax-collecting than about the Scriptures. And when God searched for someone He could use to write the majority of the New Testament, He chose the apostle Paul, who was once one of the meanest Christian killers of all time!
God has always shown up in places where He wasn’t expected. Just consider the location where Jesus was born — in a lowly shepherd’s stall. This was certainly not the place anyone would have expected the King of kings to be born. Wouldn’t it have been better for the King of kings to be born in a gold-gilded hall with trumpets blasting to announce His birth?
So if you have ever thought you weren’t good enough for God to use, it’s time for you to renew your thinking! God is looking for people no one else wants or deems valuable. When great victories are won through ordinary folks, there’s no question as to who should receive the glory! As First Corinthians 1:29 says, “That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
The Old and New Testaments are filled with illustrations of people whom God wanted, but whom the world rejected. God’s choice is not based on beauty or ugliness, talent or lack of talent, education or lack of education, a diploma or lack of a diploma. If a person has a right heart toward God, he is qualified to be used by God.
In First Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul wrote, “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; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen….”
As Paul writes his list of those whom God does and doesn’t call, he begins by stating that God doesn’t call many who are considered “wise” by the world. The word “wise” is from the Greek word sophos. It refers to a person who possesses special enlightenment or special insight.
The word sophos was usually used to portray highly educated people, such as scientists, philosophers, doctors, teachers, and others who were considered to be the super-intelligentsia of the world. These belong to a class of individuals whom the world would call clever, astute, smart, or intellectually brilliant. This term was reserved only for those considered to be super-impressive or a cut above the rest of society.
But Paul says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh….” Paul informs us that most of the folks God calls don’t fit into this category of the super-intelligentsia. In other words, God doesn’t specialize in calling people who are especially bright, educated, astute, smart, or eminently enlightened.
I would be foolish to overlook the fact that over the years, many intelligent men and women who loved God have made a great impact on the world. Paul himself was a part of this elite group before he came to Christ. Apollos, Paul’s friend who later pastored the church of Corinth, also came from this intellectual “upper echelon” of society. But Paul and Apollos were not typical of the first-century Church.
It was the sophos who scorned and ridiculed Paul when he preached in Athens. The philosophers of Athens, the Epicureans, and the Stoics derided him and made him a laughingstock. Paul said that “not many” are called who fit into this sophos category. Of course, God’s call is to all men; nevertheless, “not many” from this category respond to God’s call.
Take a close look at the Early Church, and you’ll see that it was primarily composed of servants, slaves, and poorer people who heard the Good News of the Gospel and believed. It was an army of common people. Although there were a few elite in the Church, these were the exception rather than the rule. In fact, as you study Church history, you will see that God specializes in calling people from a much lower class. And if you take a close look at the Church today, you’ll see that God still specializes in calling common people.
Now, I’m not debasing education. People should get as much education as possible. But school-issued pieces of paper are not the criteria that impresses God and gets His attention. There have been many educated people whom God could not use. Even though they were brilliant according to the flesh, they were not worthy of being chosen because their hearts weren’t right.
Educational degrees may help you get a good job and positively sway the opinion of men in your favor, but Paul makes it very clear that God is not bent on using people who are especially bright according to the standards of the flesh.
In fact, the Bible shows that when God does call people who are intellectually impressive, such as Moses or the apostle Paul, He usually has to empty them of themselves before He can use them! When they lean on their own understanding, they are unable to accomplish what God wants. But when they lean wholly upon Him, He is able to perform miracles through their lives.
Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Certainly natural knowledge and understanding are needful in the world we live in today. But if our natural understanding rather than our trust in God becomes the basis for our confidence, we put ourselves at a disadvantage. We have to learn to use what we know while leaning only on the Lord and His might.
David wrote, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). The best technology of David’s time was used to develop chariots. Man’s greatest intellectual powers were employed to make chariots faster, stronger, and safer. In addition, horses represented natural power, strength, and might. Therefore, David was saying, “Some trust in man’s mind and his great achievements; others rely on their own natural power and might; but we will rely upon the name of the Lord.”
Perhaps you’re one of those people who says, “God can’t use me because I don’t have enough gifts or talents. I haven’t even been to college. I don’t even have a Bible school degree.” If you are, it’s time for you to change the way you’re thinking and talking. It’s time for you to start seeing yourself the way God does!
In fact, if you feel inferior to others, remember that God regularly calls unskilled and uneducated people. Just think of the majority of the apostles whom Jesus hand-picked to serve at His side and to lay the foundation of the Church. Those apostles were fishermen, tax collectors, common people — not theologians.
God is looking to build a strong, powerful army. The soldiers of an army are rarely composed of the intellectually astute. Flavius Vegetius Renatus, who lived around 380 AD, was the author of the most influential military book ever written for the Roman Empire. Look at the type of person he says makes the best soldier: “Peasants are the most fit to carry arms.… They are simple, content with little, inured to fatigue, and prepared in some measure for military life by their continual employment in farm work, in handling the spade, digging trenches and carrying burdens.”
The truth is, God is looking for people who know how and are willing to pay a price — to undergo any hardship needed, to confront the power of hell, and to “dig trenches and carry burdens” until their assignment is completed just as God ordered it. God doesn’t necessarily need the super-intelligentsia of the world to get these jobs done. In fact, common people are often God’s first choice because they are already equipped to a certain degree to face the challenges and difficulties of life.
So if you want to be used by God and serve in His army, quit complaining that you’re not as smart or sharp as someone else. Where does the Bible ever say God is looking for brains? He’s looking for hearts that are willing to follow Him. If you have that kind of heart, you are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I am so glad You don’t choose only the intellectually brilliant. You are looking for anyone who has a heart to be used by You. Well, that’s me, Lord. I want You to use me. I offer You everything I have — my good points, my weak points, my gifts, my talents, and everything else that I am. I want You to use me for Your glory! I’ve told You before, but today I’m telling You again that I want You to take my life and do something wonderful with me!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am exactly the kind of person God can use! God is looking to carry out great victories through my life! His choice is not based on beauty or a lack of beauty, talent or lack of talent, education or lack of education, a diploma or lack of a diploma. No, God has chosen me because I have a heart that is right before Him!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you recall concrete examples of people in the Bible whom the world thought to be worth nothing — yet God called them, changed them, and then used them to change world history? Try to name five people who fit into this category.
2. Can you think of specific people outside the Bible whom the world thought to be worth nothing, yet God used them to change society? Try to name five people who fit into this category as well.
3. If God specializes in calling people who come from common backgrounds, what does this mean for you?
A Celebration Like No Other!
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
— Colossians 2:15
Have you ever wondered what kind of celebration took place in Heaven after Jesus’ defeat of the devil? Well, it is possible for us to know exactly how Heaven celebrated because Paul gives us a glimpse into that heavenly gala event in Colossians 2:15. It says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
This is an extremely graphic verse! It is a picture painted for us by the Holy Spirit — a glorious, vivid illustration of what happened the day Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave!
The word “spoiled” is the Greek word apekduomai, which means to strip off or to put off as one would put off his garments. This word could depict the disarming of an enemy — literally stripping his weaponry and artillery from him and leaving him without any weapons with which to respond. One scholar has noted that it refers to stripping one to the point of complete nakedness. By using this word, the Holy Spirit tells us that when Jesus arose from the dead, He thoroughly plundered the enemy!
Furthermore, when Jesus’ sacking and plundering of hell’s powers was complete and His mission was accomplished, Paul tells us that He rubbed this defeat in the devil’s face by throwing the biggest party the universe had ever seen! Colossians 2:15 says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
The word “shew” is taken from the word deigmatidzo, and it literally means to display or to expose something. It was used in classical Greek writing to denote the display of captives, weaponry, and trophies that were seized during war on foreign soil. Once the war was finished and the battle was won, the reigning emperor would return home and victoriously display and expose the treasures, trophies, weaponry, and captives that he had seized during his military conquest. This was a grand moment of celebration for the victor — but it was a humiliating experience for the defunct foe.
But wait — there is still more to Colossians 2:15 that you must understand. Paul goes on to tell us that “…he made a shew of them openly.…” The word “openly” is taken from the Greek word parresia, which is used throughout the books of the New Testament to denote boldness, confidence, or something that is done blatantly or even publicly. By using the word parresia, Paul declares that when this heavenly party and celebration of Jesus’ victory commenced, it was no quiet affair! On the contrary — He boldly, confidently, loudly, blatantly, and publicly exposed and displayed this now-defunct foe to the heavenly hosts! It was the greatest celebration in history!
In fact, Paul goes on to say, “…he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” The phrase “triumphing over them in it” is a major key to this verse. This phrase comes from the Greek word triambeuo, which is a technical word used to describe the general or emperor who was returning home from a grand victory in the enemy’s territory. The word “triumph” (triambeuo) was a specific word used to describe a glorious triumphal parade!
When news reached the city that the enemy had been defeated, plans for a triumphal parade went into action. By the time the gates of the city were opened wide to receive this emperor who was now returning home in triumph, his people were ready to celebrate his victory! As the gates swung open and this mighty warrior rode through, the celebration began!
Sitting astride a large, beautiful, white stallion; draped in his kingly, regal garments; and wearing his bright, shining crown upon his head, the returning emperor would lead the entire city in a procession of celebration and victory. It was called his “triumphal parade.” As he rode down the main avenue of the city with his head held high and a look of elation on his face, the city would begin rejoicing. “He’s back! He’s back! Our king has won a massive victory!” the people would cry as they broke into jubilant dancing and singing, joyously twirling around in circles. This was indeed a time to rejoice!
In order to flaunt his great victory, the returning victor would parade behind him the foreign king — the defeated foe, taken in captivity and bound in heavy chains of bondage. Behind this now-defunct enemy would walk the defeated ruling men and leaders, bound and chained along with their ruined king. Further back in the procession were oxcarts loaded to overflowing with booty taken by force from the enemy’s homeland. Once these goods had belonged to the enemy, but now they belonged to the conquering king!
As the returning, victorious emperor rode down the avenue, he’d strut with pride, flaunting his defeated foes. In other words, he’d “make a shew of them openly.” He wanted everyone to see the fabulous goods he had stolen from his enemy’s hand — proof that the conquered foe had been completely “spoiled.”
But the most exciting moment of the entire celebration occurred when the emperor sang a song of victory. As he rode that horse through the gate, leading his triumphal parade, he would open his mouth and begin to sing as loudly as he could sing! With all his might, he would sing something like this: “The enemy is defeated; the foe is conquered; let it be known that I am still the king!” This song would throw the crowd into a frenzy. This was the voice and the song they had been waiting for! The king had returned, and he was still king!
Then, after riding down the main avenue, revealing his booty, and singing his song of victory, the victor would stop in front of a large set of stairs that led upward to a huge, ornate throne. His military conquest had proven that he was still the holder of authority. Therefore, he proudly walked up those steps, turned toward the great crowd who was watching, and lowered himself down to sit in his rightful place — the throne.
Since all this is the background to Colossians 2:15, the verse could be interpreted to read:
“He completely stripped principalities and powers and left them utterly naked; nothing was left at their disposal with which to retaliate. He boldly, confidently, loudly, blatantly, and publicly exposed and displayed this now-defunct foe, leading a gallant triumphal parade in celebration of the enemy’s defeat and His victory!”
Does all this mean that this actual type of celebration took place in Heaven after Jesus’ defeat of the devil? There is no explicit biblical account that records the type of celebration that occurred the day Jesus was raised from the dead, but Paul’s words in Colossians 2:15 certainly indicate that Heaven threw quite a party that day. Jesus’ victory over the devil was the greatest victory ever known! It would be entirely expected that Heaven would celebrate that victory with the Son of God.
So if you feel like shouting when you think about what Jesus did to the devil, go ahead and shout! If thinking of Jesus’ victory makes you want to jump up and down, dance, or twirl around in circles, then go for it! There’s nothing strange about this behavior at all — you have something to rejoice about! When you start rejoicing about Jesus’ victory over the devil, you join the throngs of Heaven who also wildly celebrate Jesus’ victory and Satan’s defeat!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I am stopping everything I’m doing right now to praise You for Your victory over Satan! Thank You for stripping him bare and for leaving him with nothing in his hands with which to retaliate. Thinking of what You did makes me want to shout — so right now I’m going to shout! Realizing what You did makes me want to jump with joy — so right now I’m going to leap up and down in praise to You! I’m excited about what You did, and I’m not ashamed to show how I feel about it. I praise and worship You for the great victory You gained!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am free from Satan’s grip on my life because Jesus stripped him bare and left nothing in his hands that he could use against me! Jesus defeated and disarmed Satan; then He gave me authority over the devil and all his works. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. That means in Jesus Christ I am fully empowered to enforce Satan’s defeat!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What did you learn from today’s Sparkling Gem that you never knew before?
2. How does this new insight into Jesus’ victory over the devil shape your view of your own ability to walk in victory through every situation of life?
3. How long has it been since you spent some time thanking Jesus for what He did for you through His death and resurrection? After reading this today, don’t you think you ought to take a few minutes to really praise Him for His glorious victory and Satan’s defeat?
Have You Noticed the People Whom God Has Called To Help You?
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
— 1 Corinthians 4:1
When I was first starting to study New Testament Greek many years ago, I pulled out my Greek New Testament one day and flipped it over to First Corinthians 4:1. There I discovered that the Greek word for “ministers” was the word huperetas — the Greek word that was used to depict the very lowest class of criminals. I knew Paul must have had a reason for selecting this word to describe “ministers,” but it made me wonder.
The huperetas of ancient times were the criminals assigned to live the rest of their lives in the bottom galleys of huge ships. In those galleys, they became the engines that moved the ships through the seas. As I pondered this, I could see so many reasons why Paul used this word to describe those of us who are serving in the Kingdom of God!
For instance, a great number of these criminals were held in the bottom galleys of ships. They were seated and chained to a bench along with other criminals — and together they shared common chains, held a common oar, and worked the same number of hours. They all had to provide equal labor to the task. Their entire lives became a group effort. They became inseparable from the other men who were on the bench with them. As I reflected on this, I thought of how God never calls you to do a big job all by yourself. He will call others at the same time to assist you. When you say yes to the will of God — when you jump into the middle of your assigned task and surrender your time, money, talents, and ideas to the Lord — you will discover that others will be right there by your side to help you with the task. You’re not the only one God has been speaking to!
The ships on which the huperetas served were so huge that it would have been impossible for one servant to move an entire ship by himself. It required the strength and effort of many servants working together in order to move those huge ships.
In the same way, you cannot accomplish what God has called you to do all alone! Look around you! Look at the people God has placed around you to help you fulfill your dream. Don’t ignore them, thinking you can do it alone. If your vision from the Lord is big, it will require others to become involved in what you are doing.
I wouldn’t be able to do what God has told me to do if I had to do it by myself. The vision is too big and demanding. That’s why God didn’t stop after He called me. He also called others to stand with me, pray with me, and stay for the long haul, working beside me “on the under-rowers’ bench.” Their call is just as real as my call. They will answer for their part just as I will answer for mine. And when rewards are given, they will be rewarded for how they helped “row the boat” and keep this ministry moving forward to reach millions of souls.
For example, the Lord has called me to take the teaching of the Bible to spiritually hungry people in the former USSR every day through the vehicle of television. But at the same time He placed this vision in my heart, He also called partners to pray for the program, pay for television time, and support our ministry in the United States. Without our partners, I could not do my part in the territory of the former USSR. They are equally as important as Denise and me and our ministry team.
How about the staff members of our television ministry outreach, such as our television producers, editors, and secretaries? How about the dedicated work force who answer letters from our television viewers? Since 1992, this television staff has answered millions of letters from those who have written to Denise and me as a result of watching our television program. Our television department has also edited thousands of television programs and distributed several hundred thousand separate showings to eleven time zones of the former Soviet Union.
These precious staff members are the ones who do the work behind the scenes so that these programs can go into millions of homes every day of the week. If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be able to minister to the masses of people God has entrusted to me or help the hundreds of churches and pastors located all over the former USSR who look to me for apostolic guidance. I am so thankful for the others on my team whom God called to help me with this awesome task, because this job is too big for me to do alone!
Likewise, if you are going to fulfill the dream God has given you, you will have to learn how to cooperate with other key people — your partners in life — who can assist you in fulfilling that dream.
The huperetas in Paul’s illustration lived together and worked together. And when rewards were given for their extremely hard work, every man in the group was rewarded. Since they labored at the same task, shared the same oar, and sweated the same amount of sweat, the entire bench of workers was equally rewarded. On the other hand, if one rower on a bench was lazy and kept the whole bench of rowers from carrying their share of the load on the ship, every rower on that bench was punished.
In other words, the difference in one coworker’s attitude was so powerful that it had the ability to bring about victory or defeat for all of them. Since each member of the team was vital to success, their entire existence became a group effort. Therefore, they had to learn how to function as a team.
When these men rowed, the boat moved. When they stopped rowing, the boat stopped. These servants were the driving force behind the speed of the ship. If they ever stopped working hard at rowing, the ship stayed motionless in the water. It was totally dependent on the rowers in the bottom of the boat, which was powerless to travel anywhere without them.
Similarly, if you are going to move ahead with what God has called you to do — whether it is your ministry, your family, or your business — you must learn how to be a faithful servant, working together with others as a team “in the bottom of the boat.”
The bottom of the boat may not be the most pleasurable place to be. Serving day in and day out may seem monotonous and almost boring at times. But sticking with the vision and continuing to row will eventually produce eternal results for the Kingdom of God! So surrender to the plan of God, take your place in the ship, grab an oar, and start rowing! If you want to get to your destination more quickly, put your whole heart and soul into rowing that boat!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for the life-changing truths I just read! I want to take my place in Your plan for my life — and I want to give 100 percent of my attention and strength to see it come to pass in my life. With all my heart, I tell You that I want to follow You and to do whatever is required to see that vision come to pass in my life. And thank You for calling others to come alongside to help me move this vision along a little faster!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I have taken my place in God’s plan. I have grabbed hold of an oar, and I am rowing and rowing with all my strength and energy. The assignment God has given me probably won’t be achieved quickly, so I have mentally prepared myself for a long-term stint at doing what God is calling me to do. It will take unbelievable strength and energy to move that vision from the realm of dreams to the realm of reality. But because of the power of the Holy Spirit in me, I have all the strength I need for this wonderful and awesome task!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you know what boat God has called you to jump into and start rowing? What church, organization, ministry, or mission are you supposed to be helping?
2. When you look at your own life, can you see that it has taken the combined efforts of many faithful people to get you where you are today? Have you ever made a list of the people who helped you get where you are — and have you taken the time to write them a note to say thank you for what they have done for you?
3. If your answer to the above question is no, then why don’t you take a few minutes today to make that list and to write a few notes to people who have made a difference in your life?
Being Led by the Holy Spirit
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened…
— Matthew 9:27-30
It may be hard for you to believe, but most of what we have done in life has been initiated by us, not by the Spirit of God. After the ball is rolling and we’ve already started “doing our thing,” that’s usually when we pray and ask God to bless what we have initiated. We just assume that it is His will because it seems like such a good idea. No wonder we have such poor results!
We must learn to put on the brakes, stop ourselves for a while, and learn to wait until the Holy Spirit speaks clearly to our hearts. It may seem as if this way of doing things takes longer; but when He does speak, the results will be more rewarding and longer lasting. Furthermore, we can avoid pitfalls that would have cost us a lot of time and effort in the long run.
Believers must learn to let the Holy Spirit lead them. Take healing as an example. How many ministers have thought, I’m going to empty all those wheelchairs by praying for those sick people! But after they finished praying, most of the people were still in their wheelchairs and those ministers left feeling embarrassed, defeated, and powerless. Didn’t God want to heal those people? Of course He did, but the anointing may not have been present at that exact moment to heal in that particular way.
Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit is important if we want to see successful results in any sphere of life, including healing, family, business, and leading a church congregation. Only the Holy Spirit sees and knows everything that should be done; that’s why it is so imperative to learn how to follow His leadership if we want to be successful in life.
I think a classic example of being led by the Spirit can be seen in the account of the two blind beggars in Matthew 9:27-31. These two blind beggars heard that Jesus was walking by, so they waited for Him to heal them. However, Jesus walked right past, never stopping to heal them. The two blind beggars were so upset that Matthew 9:27 tells us, “And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.”
The word “followed” is the Greek word akoloutheo, which means to follow after someone or some- thing in a very determined and purposeful manner. Even though these two men were blind and couldn’t see where they were going, they were determined to follow Jesus until they got His attention! The verse continues to tell us that they were “crying” out. The word “crying” is the Greek word kradzo, and it means to scream, yell, exclaim, or cry out at the top of one’s voice. In other words, they were screaming as loudly as possible to get Jesus’ attention! What a dramatic picture! Think about it — here were two blind men, desperately wanting to be healed, who were screaming, shouting, and yelling, trying to get Jesus to notice them. But He just continued walking on as though they weren’t even there. Pursuing Jesus relent- lessly, they groped along in their darkness, still screaming, yelling, and crying out for Him to heal them.
Jesus couldn’t have missed these two blind beggars because they were yelling so loudly; yet still He didn’t stop. So they just kept screaming at the top of their lungs, over and over again, “Have mercy on us! Have mercy on us! Have mercy on us! Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on us!”
For years this section of Scripture perplexed me because I couldn’t imagine why Jesus wouldn’t acknowledge the two blind men. I wanted to know why He didn’t immediately turn around and heal them. They were so determined to get His attention that they followed Him all the way to the house where He was staying, crying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Finally, Jesus came to the two blind beggars and asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They answered, “Yea, Lord.” Matthew 9:29 says, “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” But why didn’t Jesus stop and heal the blind men when He first saw them? Why didn’t He immediately turn to heal them when He recognized their blind con- dition? And why did He answer them, “…According to your faith be it unto you”?
Jesus evidently did not sense the anointing to heal at that moment; otherwise, He would have stopped to lay His hands on those men. However, this didn’t stop the two blind men from receiving. It was as though Jesus said, “I don’t sense the anointing to heal right now, so you’re going to have to receive this on your own! Be it unto you according to your faith!”
So the only explanation for the fact that Jesus didn’t stop to heal the two blind beggars is that the Holy Spirit wasn’t leading Him to heal at that exact moment. The good news is that the two blind men could use their own faith to be healed anyway — and they were healed!
As for those whom the Holy Spirit led Jesus to heal, He healed them with a perfect, 100-percent success rate. The Bible describes His healing ministry this way: “And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him and, healed them all” (Luke 6:19).
You see, when that healing virtue was flowing, everyone got healed. But when it wasn’t flow- ing, Jesus didn’t attempt to heal. There are other instances like Luke 5:17 where Jesus was busy teach- ing the Word of God. Suddenly He sensed that “…the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”
When Jesus sensed the anointing to heal, He put aside His teaching and followed the leading of the Spirit. As a result, multitudes were healed that day, including the paralytic whom a group of friends lowered down into the room through an opening in the roof of the house.
I love this example in Luke 5:17, for it shows Jesus’ pliability in the hands of the Holy Spirit. Although He was busy teaching at the moment, suddenly He felt the anointing shift. The power of God was suddenly present to heal the sick, and Jesus knew it was time to set aside the preplanned program and go with the flow of the Holy Spirit. He faithfully followed wherever the Holy Spirit led, and He did what the Holy Spirit told Him to do. If the Spirit told Him nothing, then nothing was the right thing for Him to do.
In John 5:30, Jesus told of His complete dependency upon the Holy Spirit. He told the disci- ples, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just.…” Notice that Jesus said, “…As I hear, I judge….” You see, Jesus was constantly listening to the voice of the Spirit, waiting for that divine signal to act, to heal, to deliver, or to cleanse someone who was sick.
Then Jesus said what He did as soon as He was confident of the Spirit’s direction to act: “…I judge: and my judgment is just.…” The word “judge” and “judgment” are both from the Greek word krino, a legal term meaning to make a decision on the basis of information, like a jury who has heard all the evidence in a trial and now possesses all the information needed to take action.
This word is used in John 5:30 to let us know that Jesus never acted until He had all the direc- tion He needed from the Spirit. Once that direction was given and Jesus had all the information He needed, He acted. Because He acted on directions given by the Spirit of God, He was able to say that His actions were always right. In other words, Jesus had a 100-percent success rate because He fol- lowed the Spirit’s leading!
Jesus didn’t go with a preplanned program or act mechanically every time He was confronted with a need. Therefore, we need to learn from His example and depend on the leading of the Holy Spirit just as He did. If we will listen to the Spirit and do what He tells us to do — if we will learn to wait until we hear Him speak — we will have powerful results just like Jesus had in His earthly ministry.
So what about you, friend? Are you ready to let the Holy Spirit become the Leader in your life today?
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I want to learn how to follow You more closely! I want to learn the sound of Your voice, to sense when You are speaking to me and trying to lead me, and to become so sensitive to You that I know when to act and when to wait. I am sorry for all the times I’ve acted before praying — and then assumed that You would bless what I was doing. I don’t want to function this way anymore. I only want to initiate what I know You are leading me to do. So please help me become more sensitive. Give me the boldness to do what You say to do and to wait when I hear You tell me to wait.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus was constantly listening to the voice of the Spirit, waiting for that divine signal to act, to heal, to deliver, or to cleanse someone who was sick, I am also sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice and wait for Him to speak to my heart. When He speaks, I hear; then I do exactly what He instructs me to do. Because I follow His voice, I make few mistakes and I see great results!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
- Has there ever been a time when you suddenly sensed the Holy Spirit leading you to stop what you were doing so He could use you to do something different than you had previously planned?
- Did you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, or did you stick with the pre- planned program because you didn’t want to interrupt your schedule?
- Is there a reason you resist when you sense that the Holy Spirit is trying to redirect your steps? What are those reasons?
Be Sure To Go To Sword Practice!
And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
— Ephesians 6:17
Have you ever been confronted with a situation where you felt you needed a word from the Lord, but you didn’t know which word you needed? Did you run to your Bible and start flipping through the pages, searching for that perfect word you needed — but it seemed like you just couldn’t quite find the right word to fit your situation?
Well, today I want to talk to you about the sword of the Spirit. You will find that when the Holy Spirit drops a word into your heart for your exact situation, that rhema word will have incredible power to drive back the enemy from his attack!
Let me begin by telling you a little bit about how Roman soldiers went to sword practice, because it will help you understand the difference between a rhema, or a quickened, specific word from the Spirit, and the logos, which is the written Word of God.
Because the Roman army was so committed to warfare, its soldiers practiced the arts of warfare continually. One of the primary exercises was daily sword practice. The soldiers exercised themselves in this skill morning and afternoon. The ancients gave their recruits bucklers that were woven with willow branches and were two times heavier than the ones used in actual battle.
In addition to these heavy bucklers, the swords that Roman soldiers used in practice were made of heavy wood and were twice the weight of the real swords used in battle. Every soldier practiced combat with a wooden post about six feet high, which was firmly fixed in the ground. This six-foot post became his “enemy” during practice. Just as with a real enemy, he would advance upon his target, strike hard with his sword, and then retreat.
The soldier’s job in practice was to learn how to take advantage of his enemy; how to hit him at his weakest point; and how to strike him so he could not respond. The aim of the man wielding the sword was nearly always pointed toward the head or face, toward the thighs or legs, or occasionally toward the sides of the target.
Flavius Vegetius Renatus, who lived around 380 AD and who documented the affairs of the Roman military, wrote: “They [the military recruits] were likewise taught not to cut, but to thrust their swords. For the Romans not only made jest of those who fought with the edge of that weapon, but always found them an easy conquest. A stroke with the edges, though made with ever so much force, seldom kills, as the vital parts of the body are defended by both the bones and armor. On the contrary, a stab, although it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal.”1
It was from this background that Paul said, “And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Notice particularly that Paul says, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The word translated “word” is not the Greek word logos, which would refer to the written Word. Instead, Paul employs the use of the Greek word rhema. This is so powerful — and I want to tell you why!
Had Paul used the word logos in this verse, he would have implied a “sweeping stroke” against the enemy, and this would never do. You see, the logos — although broad, heavy, wonderful, and full of general direction for our lives — is not sufficient to deal the enemy a fatal blow. We need to stab the enemy! This will require a rhema — a specific, quickened word from the Scriptures, placed into our hearts and hands by the Holy Spirit. With a rhema from God placed in our hearts and hands, we have real sword power to use against the enemy!
A genuine rhema doesn’t have to be six pages long to be effective against the work of the devil. As Vegetius recorded in his history of the Roman army, all that was needed to kill an enemy was a mere two-inch penetration. Likewise, one very small rhema from the Lord has the power to do the adversary in!
The best example of this sword power of the Spirit is found in Luke 4:3-13. In this passage, Satan is the aggressor who is found attacking Jesus on repeated occasions. But Jesus doesn’t simply say, “Satan, get out of here.” Instead, Jesus stabs the devil repeatedly with direct blows! Jesus had a specific, quickened rhema from the Holy Spirit!
After the devil tempted Jesus with food, Jesus drew the sword that the Holy Spirit put in His hand (a rhema) and said, “…It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (v. 4). To this stabbing sword of the Spirit, the enemy had no response.
After offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship, Satan was wounded deeply by one rhema from the Master’s mouth. Jesus told him, “…It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (v. 8). To this sword of the Spirit, Satan had no answer.
Then Satan tried to tempt Jesus to prove His deity. But Jesus answered His adversary with a sword, saying, “…It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (v. 12). With one final stab, Jesus penetrated Satan’s armor and delivered an almost fatal wound — and at that point, Satan fled from the scene!
Like the Lord Jesus, you are equipped with all the armor of God, and this includes the sword of the Spirit. As long as you have this spiritual equipment, no battle is a real threat to you! Today if you will open your heart and listen, the Holy Spirit will place in your heart and hands the exact rhema you need to put the devil on the run!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, thank You for giving me the sword of the Spirit as part of my spiritual weaponry. When the devil attempts to attack me, please help me be sensitive to hear the exact rhema that the Holy Spirit desires to drop into my heart with which I can then deal the enemy a fatal blow. Starting right now, I open my heart and soul to listen so I can hear any scripture or word the Holy Spirit wishes to give me to use against the works of the devil in my life.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and that this spiritual weapon is working in my life! I have the exact word I need for every situation — a specific, quickened word from the Scriptures, placed in my heart by the Holy Spirit. Because this rhema from God is in my heart, I have real sword power to use against the enemy!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you think of a time when you were facing a difficult situation — and suddenly it was as if God dropped a verse into your heart that had the very answer you needed? Did it equip you to deal with the challenge you were facing and cause the situation to turn around?
2. Why don’t you think of three times in your life when you emphatically knew that God gave you a rhema for the particular situation you were facing? What were those times, and how did that rhema make a difference?
3. Are there any areas in your life right now where you could use a rhema from the Holy Spirit to help you know how to overcome a problem or a challenge?