When You’re Ready To Give Up, Here’s What To Do!
But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.
— Hebrews 10:32
What should you do when you’re feeling discouraged and dangerously close to doubting God’s integrity — when you start thinking He just might not come through for you? Hebrews 10:32 tells us what we are to do when we find ourselves in this situation. It says, “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated.…”
This verse was written to believers who were so discouraged that they were tempted to give up and throw away their strong position of faith. They had been waiting a long time to see God’s promises come to pass, and they had begun to feel like their answer would never come. But just when they were about to give up, they read this verse that reminded them of when they were first “illuminated.”
The word “illuminated” comes from the Greek word photidzo, which means to lighten up, to shine, to illuminate, to make visible, or to radiate. It gives the impression of a brilliant flash of light that leaves a permanent and lasting impression. We get “photography” from this word, which calls to mind the blinding flash on a camera. This word is used here in order to help these struggling believers put their present hardships “on pause” for a few minutes so they can remember what they experienced when they heard the Word of God for the first time and were “illuminated.”
Maybe you can remember a time in your own life when it was as if someone suddenly flipped the light switch and turned on the light, removing the darkness from your eyes so you could see things clearly? That’s exactly how I felt when the Spirit of God finally revealed the truth of the baptism in the Holy Spirit to me. I saw it! I understood it! I was illuminated by that truth. The Spirit’s brilliant flash of light upon my mind was so strong that it made a permanent and lasting impression on my life. In fact, I’ve never been the same since!
Can you think of a time in your life when the Holy Spirit “illuminated” you regarding some truth? Perhaps He illuminated you regarding healing. Did it feel like your eyes were finally opened and you understood the work of the Cross in a new and different light? Or perhaps you were illuminated about the power of giving. After struggling with giving for all those years, it was like someone pulled back the veil that blinded your understanding — and boom! You saw it! You were illuminated about giving, and the light of that truth made a permanent and lasting impression on your life!
Do you remember the first time the Word of God shot through your being like a bolt of lightning? You saw the truth, and it brought perfect order out of the chaos in your life! How about the first time God spoke to your heart about His dream of greatness for your life? Do you remember the joy you felt?
When you get discouraged and are tempted to give up — when times are tough and your faith isn’t finding its fulfillment as quickly as you desire — you must decide to put everything on hold. Tell your mind to be silent; command your emotions to be stilled; and remember when you were first illuminated to the truths of God’s Word.
That is precisely why Hebrews 10:32 urges us, “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated.…” The words “former days” is from the Greek word proteron. This word points the readers back to earlier times when they first met the Lord and when they were filled to overflowing with joy, hope, and faith. But now, years have passed. These believers have gone through a lot of struggles, and weariness has set in. Many of their prayers remain unanswered; the devil is telling them that none of the answers they are waiting to see manifested will ever come to pass; and they are tempted to quit.
Sometimes when you are discouraged, it’s good to hit the rewind button in your mind and drift backward to earlier experiences with the Lord when faith was simple and life was uncomplicated. Do you remember how precious those days were? Do you recall how changed you were by the power of God? Do you remember the laughter and joy you experienced? It’s good for you to rehearse those experiences because they stir you up, encourage you, and summon strength for the battle you are facing right now.
In light of these Greek words, Hebrews 10:32 conveys this idea:
“You need to remember and never forget what it was like back in the early days — how your eyes were opened and you really saw the truth for the first time.…”
Your divine calling, your God-given dream, must be an illumination in your heart that you can call to remembrance over and over again. Call to remembrance how God first spoke to you, and meditate on the promise He made to you. This will help you get past the weariness that’s trying to pull you down. Keep your dream shining brilliantly in your heart and mind — a powerful illumination and revelation that lights your way through any darkness the enemy might bring against you!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to never forget those early experiences I had with You after I first got saved. I’m so sorry I’ve allowed the complexities of life to steal my joy, and today I ask You to help me return to the simplicity of faith I once enjoyed. I admit I’ve been discouraged, but today I am deciding to get encouraged! Thank You for helping me to refocus and to remember that Your Word is unchanging and Your promises are true!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly confess that discouragement has no place in me! God’s Word is true; the devil is a liar; and my circumstances are not permanent. And with God’s power, I will rise above the situations I face today! I decide it; I declare it; and I pronounce it to be true!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What thoughts stir in your heart when you stop and remember the early days after you first came to the Lord? Can you remember how precious and exciting it was back in those days?
2. What one word would you use to describe what your Christian life was like in those early days after you were first illuminated?
3. Can you recall a time when you were specially “illuminated” by the Spirit of God regarding some Bible truth? What was that truth, and how did this “illumination” affect your life?
There’s a Time for You To Be Inflexible and Unmoving!
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).
— Hebrews 10:23
Maybe you’ve been muttering to yourself, “Come on! I’ve waited and waited for my dream to come to pass. God hasn’t done anything I thought He was going to do. I’ve seen others blessed; I’ve seen others healed; but I’m still sitting here with the same old unanswered prayers. I’m sick of it all! I’m not going to believe and wait any longer. Forget it — I’m letting it all go!”
If this sounds like you, I want to encourage you to take a look at Hebrews 10:23. It says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.…”
We already looked at the words “hold fast” (see March 20) and “profession” (see May 7), but today I want to take you one step further and draw your attention to the word “waver” in this powerful verse of Scripture. The word “waver” is taken from the Greek aklines, which conveys the picture of something that does not bend or something that is fixed and unmoving and is therefore stable and enduring.
Interestingly, if you remove the a from the word aklines, you are left with the word klines, which pictures a person who is bowed down. With shoulders sloped and body bent over, this person is so tired that he can barely stand. Ultimately, he becomes so exhausted that he throws in the towel and gives up. In fact, the word klines is the same root in Greek for a couch or a bed. So when a person is klines, his “give-up” attitude causes him to head for the couch or bed where he lays down, stagnates, and vegetates.
But as noted above, when the a is added to the front of the word, it forms the word aklines, which is just the opposite of a lazy person! Instead, this portrays an attitude that is unbending, unchanging, fixed, stable, and unmoving. In other words, this person has too much invested to go to bed on his faith. He therefore refuses to budge an inch on what he is believing to see or to receive!
Hebrews 10:23 could be interpreted to mean:
“Let us come into agreement with God and begin to speak what He says, tightly wrapping our arms around the promise we are confessing — embracing it with all our might, holding tightly to it, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us, not allowing ourselves to be fickle in our commitment, but determined to be inflexible and unmoving from that which we believe and confess….”
Many people give up hope and quit believing because they get tired of waiting. The devil whispers in their ears and tells them, “This thing you’re believing for isn’t ever going to happen! If it was going to happen, it would have already happened by now! This is just a fantasy. You are wasting your time and throwing away precious years of your life. Why don’t you forget it, let it go, and move on with your life?”
As long as you are energized by faith, you’ll keep moving in a forward direction. But the day you let loose of your faith and back off your position, it won’t be too long until a spiritual sadness will come over your life. Spiritually speaking, your shoulders will slope; your head will drop; and you’ll feel like someone pulled the plug on your energy level. Your eyes will drift toward the couch or bed, and soon you’ll end up completely going to bed on your faith!
Don’t let that happen to you! What God promises, He will perform. It may take awhile for that promise to come into manifestation, but eventually it will come. In the meantime, you must choose to believe that He will do what He has promised. That is the key! You must set your heart and commit your will, making an irrevocable decision to believe His Word regardless of how you feel, what you think in your natural mind, what others say, or how circumstances look.
It is time for you to make the decision that you have too much invested to turn back now! Dig in your heels; drive down your stake; and tell the devil that you are not going to move from your position of faith! Aggressively choose to believe that what God has promised, He will always do. Once you’ve made that kind of life-changing decision, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be rejoicing!
When you finally put your foot down, the devil will stop uttering his lying accusations and he will flee from you. You will be mightily blessed and very thankful that you didn’t give up when you see the confession of your faith finally begin to come into manifestation!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I’ve tolerated the devil’s lies long enough. Today I am making the decision to put my foot down. I’m going to tell the enemy to shut his mouth and flee from me! I have made my choice that I will stand by Your promise and will never retreat from what You have told me to believe and confess. You are not a man that You should lie, and I believe Your Word to be true for my life. Holy Spirit, give me the strength I need to stay fixed, immovable, and steadfast until I finally see the manifestation of those things that I believe!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I don’t waver or bend and that I am fixed and unmoving as I stand on the promises of God. What God promises, He will perform. It may take awhile for that promise to come into manifestation, but I know it is on the way right now! I dig in my heels; I drive down my stake; and I tell the devil that I am NOT going to move from my position of faith!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Think of three times when you were tempted to quit believing on the verge of the manifestation of your answer. Write these experiences down; then take a few minutes to thank God that you didn’t quit believing just before the blessing came!
2. Can you name specific promises from God’s Word that you are currently believing to come into manifestation in your life?
3. Can you remember a time when you gave in to the devil’s lies and threw in the towel on your fight of faith, only to discover just a little later that you would have received your answer if only you had held on a little longer?
The Most Common Word For Prayer in the New Testament
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
— Ephesians 6:18
The most common Greek word translated “prayer” in the New Testament is the word proseuche. This particular word and its various forms is used approximately 127 times in the New Testament. It is the word that Paul uses in Ephesians 6:18, when he says, “Praying always with all prayer.…” The word “prayer” in this verse is a translation of the word proseuche. Today I would like to tell you about this word and what it means for you and me.
The word proseuche is a compound of the words pros and euche. The word pros is a preposition that means toward, and it can denote a sense of closeness. For example, one scholar says the word pros is used to portray the intimate relationship that exists between the members of the Godhead. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.…” The word “with” is taken from the word pros. By using this word to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is telling us that theirs is an intimate relationship. One expositor has translated the verse, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face to face with God.…”
The word pros is used in Ephesians 6:12 to picture our close contact with unseen, demonic spirits that have been marshaled against us. Nearly everywhere it is used in the New Testament, the word pros carries the meaning of close, up-front, intimate contact with someone else.
The second part of the word proseuche is taken from the word euche. The word euche is an old Greek word that describes a wish, desire, prayer, or vow. It was originally used to depict a person who made some kind of vow to God because of some need or desire in his or her life. This individual would vow to give something of great value to God in exchange for a favorable answer to prayer.
A perfect illustration of this word can be found in the Old Testament story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Hannah deeply desired a child but was not able to become pregnant. Out of great desperation and anguish of spirit, she prayed and made a solemn vow to the Lord. First Samuel 1:11 tells us, “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life….”
First Samuel 1:19,20 goes on to tell us, “And they [Elkanah and his wife Hannah] rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son….”
In exchange for God’s gift of this son, Hannah vowed that her young boy would be devoted to the work of the ministry. By making this commitment, she gave her most valued and prized possession in exchange for answered prayer. Technically, this was a euche — she made a vow to give something to God in exchange for answered prayer.
In Greek culture, before prayer was verbalized and offered to a “god,” a commemorative altar was set up and thanksgiving was offered on that altar. Such offerings of praise and thanksgiving were called votive offerings (from the word “vow”). These votive offerings were similar to a pledge. The person would promise that once his prayer had been answered, he would be back to give additional thanksgiving to God. These votive offerings of praise and worship were elaborate and well-planned. Giving thanks to a deity was a significant event, so it was done in a serious and grandiose manner to outwardly demonstrate a thankful heart.
All of this is included in the background of the word proseuche, the word used more than any other for “prayer” in the New Testament. Keep in mind, the majority of Paul’s readers were Greek in origin and knew the cultural background of this word; hence, they understood its full ramifications. What a picture of prayer this is!
This tells us several important things about prayer. First, the word proseuche tells us that prayer should bring us face to face and into close contact with God. Prayer is more than a mechanical act or a formula to follow; it is a vehicle to bring us to a place whereby we may enjoy a close, intimate relationship with God.
The idea of sacrifice is also associated with this word for “prayer.” It portrayed an individual who desired to see his prayer answered so desperately that he was willing to surrender everything he owned in exchange for answered prayer. Clearly, this describes an altar of sacrifice and consecration in prayer whereby a believer’s life is yielded entirely to God.
Although the Holy Spirit may convict our hearts of areas that need to be surrendered to His sanctifying power, He will never forcibly take anything from us. Thus, this particular word for prayer tells of a place of decision, a place of consecration, an altar where we freely vow to give our lives to God in exchange for His life. Because the word proseuche carries this meaning of surrender and sacrifice, we can know that God obviously desires to do more than merely bless us — He wants to change us! He wants us to come to a place of consecration where we meet with Him face to face and surrender every area of our lives to Him, and in exchange, we are touched and changed by His power and Presence.
Thanksgiving was also a vital part of this common word for “prayer.” This tells us that genuine prayer, when offered in faith, will include thanksgiving to God in advance for hearing and answering the prayer. Thus, when we come to the Lord in prayer, it is imperative that we never stop short of thanking Him for answering our prayers and requests before we ever see the answers manifested.
I think you can see that the word for “prayer” used most often in the New Testament is more than simply a prayer request. This word demands surrender, consecration, and thanksgiving from us. The idea of the word proseuche is this: “Come face to face with God, and surrender your life in exchange for His. Maintain an attitude of consecration as an ongoing part of your life, and be sure to give Him thanks in advance for moving on your behalf.…”
The possible references for the word proseuche are far too many to list right now, but I suggest that you study for yourself many of the 127 places where it is used in the New Testament. However, be sure you don’t just study this subject of prayer — you also need to do it!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I come before You right now with the specific petition that is on my heart. I know that You want to answer my prayers and fulfill my requests, but You also want me to surrender more of myself to You. Before I ask You to meet my needs today, I first want to consecrate myself more fully to You. Forgive me for hanging on to parts of my life that I’ve needed to surrender to You. Right now I yield these areas of my life to You, and I ask You in exchange to please fill me with more of You. I thank You in advance for answering that prayer. I also thank You for hearing my specific prayer request and for fulfilling the needs I am confronted with today.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am surrendered and yielded to the Lord. Every part of my life is becoming more yielded to Him every day. As the Holy Spirit shows me areas that I need to release to Him, I do it quickly and without delay. Because I have given my life to Him, He is filling me with more and more of Himself. He hears me when I pray; He accepts my thanksgiving; and He fulfills the needs that I present to Him today!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. How often do you come before the Lord for a time of intimate prayer and worship? Do you set aside time to spend with God once a day, a couple of times a week — or do you only experience His Presence during worship when you attend church services?
2. Can you recall a time when God dealt with your heart about something you needed to yield to Him? When you finally relinquished it into His hands, how quickly did you experience an answer to your specific prayer requests?
3. Is there anything you need to yield to the Lord in your life right now? Write down whatever comes to mind that you need to release to Him
What Are You Teaching Your Children at Home?
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.
— 1 Timothy 3:4
As parents, we have a responsibility to train and prepare our children to be successful in life, and there is no better classroom for teaching them the responsibilities of life than in our own homes. God expects us to teach our children how to conduct themselves, how to respond to authority, how to cooperate with others, how to work as a part of a team, and how to successfully execute daily responsibilities. By giving our children this kind of training, we prepare them for the real world where they will one day be employed and make a living.
This issue of properly training our children is extremely important. In First Timothy 3:4, the apostle Paul wrote that leaders are to set the example in this area for everyone else in the church. A leader must be “one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.”
Today I want to focus on what Paul said about how children should behave. What he says applies to all children, for there are no double standards. We are commanded by God to train, teach, prepare, and equip our sons and daughters to victoriously enter the arena of life.
Paul says that our children should be “…in subjection with all gravity.” The word “subjection” comes from the Greek word hupotasso. It means to set things in order or to be subject to someone else, and it strongly suggests the idea of obedience to authority. One expositor notes that this word implies a subjection to authority that can happen voluntarily or that can be required by force. It is important that Paul uses this word when speaking to parents, for it affirms that parents have the right to exercise godly authority over their children. If children don’t voluntarily submit, parents have every right before God to force their children to obey.
Further confirming the strength of the word hupotasso, this word was a military term that was used to describe soldiers who were under the command or authority of a superior officer. As with all soldiers, they knew who their superior was; they understood how to respond to that superior officer; they knew their own place, function, and assignment in the army; and they understood both the rewards for obedience and the penalty for disobedience and disrespect. Let’s consider how this example of a soldier in the military applies to the training of our own children.
First, a soldier never questions who his authority is. He knows from the first day who is in charge and to whom he reports. Having this knowledge clears away any confusion about whom he is accountable to. He has been given clear instructions about who is the boss, and this sets things in order so he never has to wonder who is really in charge.
Likewise, parents need to make it clear from the time a child is young that Dad and Mom are the ultimate authority in the home. When a parent doesn’t exercise authority and lets a child get away with whatever he or she wants, it brings confusion into the home.
Set things straight by making it known to your children that you are assuming your godly role as the leader of your home. By teaching your children to respond correctly to your authority at home, you are preparing them to respond properly to their future employers.
A soldier understands his daily responsibilities. For example, no soldier in the army wakes up and says, “Gee, I wonder what the sergeant will ask me to do today?” The soldier knows that certain responsibilities are regular and routine. He understands that he is expected to fulfill these basic duties each day — duties such as making his bed, combing his hair, grooming his face, shining his shoes, and wearing clothes that are pressed.
Likewise, your children need daily duties to teach them responsibility. By using the word hupotasso, Paul is telling us that, like soldiers, children need daily discipline — including responsibilities that are required and expected of them each day. This kind of “basic training” helps children understand the realities of work, the responsibilities of life, and how to be a part of a team.
It is my personal view that it’s wrong for a parent to make a child’s bed, clean up his room, pick up his mess after he showers, and wash his dishes after he eats while he sits and watches television. This kind of “schoolroom” represents an unrealistic picture of life for the child. In the real world, no one will do everything for him when he’s an adult. He’ll get a big shock when he goes out into the world and suddenly discovers that no one is going to be easy on him in the workplace and that he has to carry his own weight of responsibility.
If a soldier fails in performing his basic duties, he knows beforehand that it will result in some kind of penalty. By using the word “subjection” (hupotasso), Paul embraces this picture of military order that includes rewards for a job well done and penalties for poor performance.
Rewards are very important as you teach your children. Rewards become goals and aspirations to help motivate a child to achieve bigger and better results. Teaching this to your child at home will help him later when he gets a job and wants a bigger salary. He will understand that to receive better wages, he will have to put out better work. Teaching our sons and daughters that nothing comes free in life is imperative if we want them to be blessed as adults.
But as important as it is to give your children rewards for a good performance, it is also important to give them penalties for a poor performance. Why should a bad job be rewarded? Will your children be rewarded for a bad performance when they go out into the workplace and get a job? Of course not! Therefore, it is part of your parental responsibility to ingrain into your children the principle that good work reaps a good reward, but poor work produces undesirable consequences. That doesn’t mean you have to berate them for unsatisfactory work. You just need to take the time to lovingly explain and demonstrate how different levels of work are rewarded differently.
It is amazing that all these concepts are concealed in the Greek word hupotasso, translated in First Timothy 3:4 as the word “subjection.” Unfortunately, we live in a day when parents are afraid to be the authority in the home as God has called them to be. But you have no need to be afraid. God has designated you to be a leader and a teacher for your children. If you don’t assume this place of responsibility and teach them the necessary principles for success, who will prepare them for life?
So follow God’s pattern of parenting. Give your children responsibilities to regularly perform. Make sure they understand the rewards and penalties for not doing what is expected. Do everything you can to help prepare your children for a successful, disciplined life. When they grow up and begin to work in the real world, they will thank you for investing your time and love into preparing them for life!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for speaking to me about teaching my children the responsibilities of life. I want my children to be godly and successful, so I want to lead them and teach them from the Word of God. I know that my personal example is the strongest message I have to preach to my children, so help me be real and authentic, not hypocritical in my Christian life. Parenting is such a huge responsibility that I must have Your help to do it properly. I look to You and Your Word to guide me as I rear the children You have placed in my care.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I declare by faith that I am a godly parent and I lead my children in the way of righteousness! I am not afraid to step up to the plate and take my leadership role. I do it boldly, proudly, and reverently, realizing that this is one of the greatest honors and responsibilities of my life. I recognize that my children are gifts from God, and I treat them with the greatest respect as I teach them how to become successful young adults. With the help of God’s Spirit and the guidance of His Word, I am doing exactly what I must for my children to be anointed, godly, and blessed.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. What impact did your own parents make on your life? Did they prepare you for life, or did you go out into the world feeling like you were totally unequipped for living on your own?
2. What are you doing right now to teach your own children how to be prepared for life? Do you require daily duties of them and hold them accountable for how well they perform the jobs you have assigned to them?
3. As you look at your own children and their attitude toward life, toward work, and toward authority figures, what changes could you make in your own leadership style in order to produce better results in your children?
Dip and Dye!
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
— Matthew 28:19
One year our Moscow pastoral staff had a debate over whether or not it was right or wrong to dye Easter eggs for the annual Easter celebration. In the Russian Orthodox Church, Easter eggs are a very big part of tradition. Therefore, I wanted to include Easter eggs in our church celebration in order to help those from an Orthodox background feel more comfortable in their new Protestant surroundings. My goal was for our children’s ministry to dip, dye, and decorate several thousand eggs — one for each member of the congregation — and then to publicly present them on stage to the church before giving one to every person in attendance.
Because the children would be presenting the eggs on stage, I knew this special presentation would attract their unsaved parents to the service, allowing the parents to hear the Gospel for the first time. Some of the pastoral staff thought this was a great idea, but others thought it was inappropriate to use a symbol that also had alleged ties to paganism from the past.
At the same time we were debating this question, I was preparing to preach a message about water baptism. To prepare for my message, I pulled out my Greek New Testament, opened it to Matthew 28:19, and began to look at the Greek word for “baptism.” I honestly thought, What new revelation could I possibly learn about the word “baptism” after studying it for so many years? But I’ll open all my books and give it a shot to see if there’s anything about this word I’ve never seen before.
Wow! Was I ever shocked at what I discovered that day! After all those years of studying, I saw something I had never seen before about baptidzo, the Greek word for “baptism.” I saw that this word baptidzo originally meant to dip and to dye. For instance, in very early cases, baptidzo described the process of dipping a cloth or garment into a vat of color to dye it; leaving it there long enough for the material to soak up the new color; and then pulling that garment out of the dye with a permanently changed outward appearance. When I saw this, I just about leaped out of my chair with excitement!
In Second Corinthians 5:17, Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” A person who comes to Jesus Christ can be likened to an old garment that needs to be dipped into a vat of dye so its color can be changed. However, the person isn’t dipped into a vat of colored dye, but into the precious blood of the Lamb! This person is so totally transformed by Jesus’ blood that he becomes a new creature. His countenance is so changed that he even looks different. You could say that this new believer has been “dipped and dyed”!
What a new light this shed on baptism! Paul wrote, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Water baptism is a symbolic proclamation of the fact that believers have been buried with Christ and raised with Him. When a believer is placed in the baptismal waters, it symbolizes being immersed in one condition and coming out looking brand new. In other words, it is a picture of what happened to that person when he got saved! This outward symbol represents the fact that he has been dipped in the blood of the Lamb, and now his entire life has been newly colored and transformed to be like Jesus!
When I saw this meaning in the word baptidzo, I told my pastoral staff, “This year we’re going to let the children dye Easter eggs. Then we’re going to use this as a teaching tool to show them what happens when a person is born again!” I instructed the teachers to tell the children that each egg represented a person who has been saved and dipped in the blood of Jesus Christ — newly colored, transformed, and changed forever.
The time came for the children to dye and decorate those eggs. As they dipped those eggs, they imagined that they were baptizing people who were newly saved. It turned out to be quite a hallelujah time! Each Easter egg became a declaration to those children that several thousand new people would soon be saved and water baptized!
Aren’t you thankful that Jesus totally transformed your life? Don’t you see things differently from the way you used to see them? Hasn’t your entire outlook on life been altered? In a certain sense, couldn’t you say that there is new light and color since Jesus came into your life? Just go ahead and rejoice in the fact that you have been dipped and dyed in the blood of Jesus and that you’ll never be the same again!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I am so grateful that You accepted me when I was dead in sin and washed me with Your precious blood. When I was placed inside You, everything old passed away and everything in me became brand new. For this great gift of life and salvation, I want to serve You the rest of my days. I am so thankful to You for giving me a new view of life and a whole new reason to live. When You came to dwell in me through the Person of the Holy Spirit, the drab, dark days of sin passed away, and a new world of light and color filled my life. For this, I am forever thankful!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I boldly declare that I am a new creature in Jesus Christ. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new! I am not who I used to be anymore. I don’t think like that old man; I don’t see like that old man; I don’t talk like that old man; and I don’t behave like that old man anymore. Now I am in Jesus Christ, and I think like Him, see like Him, talk like Him, and behave like Him. I have come alive with vibrant life because of His resurrection power that works inside me!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you name the ways your life radically changed after Jesus Christ came into your heart? Make a list of ten ways your life changed after you got saved.
2. When you first got saved, can you remember how the world looked different to you? What seemed to be the most different?
3. Have you obeyed the Lord and been water baptized? If not, when do you plan to take this fundamental step of obedience that Jesus demands of every serious believer?
What Should You Do When You Get Offended?
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come.…
— Luke 17:1
Every so often, everyone has an opportunity to get offended. In fact, Jesus said, “…It is impossible but that offences will come…” (Luke 17:1). The word “impossible” is the word anendektos, meaning something that is impossible, inadmissible, unallowable, or unthinkable. One scholar notes that it could be translated, “It is simply unthinkable that you would allow yourself to dream that you could live this life without an opportunity to become offended.…”
But what is an offense? The word “offense” comes from the Greek word skandalon, from which we get the word scandal. This is a powerful picture that you must understand! The word skandalon originally described the small piece of wood that was used to keep the door of an animal trap propped open. A piece of food was placed inside the trap to lure the animal inside. When the animal entered the trap and accidentally bumped the skandalon, or the small piece of wood, the skandalon collapsed, causing the trap door to slam shut and the animal to be caught inside with no way to escape.
However, the New Testament also uses the word skandalon to refer to a stone or an obstacle that caused one to trip, to stumble, to lose his footing, to waver, to falter, and to fall down. In First Peter 2:8, the word skandalon is used to describe how unbelievers react to the Gospel when they don’t want to hear it or believe it. Peter said, “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word….” Rather than accept the message and be saved, these people stumble when they hear the truth, tripping over the message that could set them free.
But in Luke 17:1, Jesus used the word skandalon to warn us about events that happen in life with the potential to trip us up. Sometimes Satan baits us with something — drawing us into a trap in which he knows we’ll become offended. When we bump into a moment of offense, the trap slams down shut — and like an animal that is trapped in a cage and can’t get out, we suddenly find ourselves caught in a miserable situation, trapped in detrimental and negative emotions!
This means Luke 17:1 could be translated:
“It is simply unthinkable that you would allow yourself to dream that you could live this life without an opportunity to be lured into a situation that could potentially snare you in the feelings of offense.…”
If this is really what Jesus meant, we need to know the nature of the bait Satan uses to get to us. What is the “offense” the devil uses to trap most people?
An offense usually occurs when you see, hear, or experience a behavior that is so different from what you expected that it causes you to falter, totter, and wobble in your soul. In fact, you are so stunned by what you have observed or by a failed expectation that you lose your footing emotionally. Before you know it, you are dumbfounded and flabbergasted about something. Then your shock turns into disbelief; your disbelief into disappointment; and your disappointment into offense.
We’ve all experienced this kind of disappointment at some point in our lives. According to Jesus’ words in Luke 17:1, the opportunity to be offended comes to every one of us. As long as we live and breathe, we must combat this nuisance and refuse to allow it to have a place in our hearts and minds. Even worse, we’ve all been the source of offense at some point or another. It may not have been intentional on our part; in fact, we may not have even known we offended anyone until the person later came and informed us of what we did.
In light of all this, I’d like you to consider these questions:
- Have you ever offended someone?
- When you found out about the cause of offense, were you shocked?
- When the news finally reached you that you had offended that person, were you surprised to hear how he or she perceived what you did or said?
Through the years, I’ve learned to do the best I can to avoid being a source of offense to anyone. At the same time, I try not to be too shocked if I find out that someone, somewhere, has gotten offended. Because people come from different backgrounds, wake up in bad moods, have a bad day at work, don’t physically feel well, and go through a whole host of other negative experiences in their lives, their interpretation of our actions and words may be very different from our original intention.
We can be almost 99-percent sure that someone along the way will misunderstand what we do or misinterpret something we say. Therefore, as Christians, we must: 1) do everything in our power to communicate correct messages to one another; and 2) do everything in our power to bring healing and restoration whenever misunderstanding and offense occurs between ourselves and someone else.
If you discover that you have been a source of offense to someone else, take the mature path and go ask that person to forgive you. And don’t get defensive, for that will only make the problem worse. It may even lead to a deeper conflict, so just say you are sorry and move on!
Do everything you can to bury that offense and destroy what the devil is trying to do between you. Make it your personal aim to help that other person overcome what he thinks you did or said. Sometimes it is more important to help the other person attain a position of peace than it is to prove who is right or wrong!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I want to repent for ever being a source of offense to anyone. I am asking You to forgive me for fighting to prove my point in the past when I should have just gone to that other person and apologized, asking for his forgiveness. If I ever find out I’ve offended someone again, please help me deal with it more maturely than I have in the past. Jesus, I also need You to help me remember that when others do things that make me sad or that disappoint me, they probably didn’t mean to do it. Help me give them the same mercy and grace that I hope others will give me.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am a source of blessing and not a cause of offense! I do everything in my power to communicate correct messages, and I immediately move to bring healing and restoration whenever misunderstanding and offense has occurred between myself and someone else. I do everything I can to bury that offense and to destroy what the devil is trying to do. I make it my aim to walk in the Spirit, to speak the love of God into every situation, and to refuse to let the devil use me to cause others to trip and fall.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Can you think of an occasion when you unintentionally offended someone, and you were totally shocked when you heard how he or she perceived what you said or did?
2. Have you ever been offended by someone, only to find out later that the person never intended to offend you and was genuinely sorry when he or she found out how you felt about it?
3. What do you think is the most mature way a person can respond when he or she is tempted to get caught in the trap of offense? How do you think you should deal with a potential offense when someone hurts your feelings or lets you down?
Cast All Your Care on the Lord!
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
— 1 Peter 5:7
When we were constructing a huge church facility many years ago in the Republic of Latvia — a former Soviet nation where our family once lived and worked — worry and anxiety tried so hard to control me. In fact, worry nearly broke me until I really came to understand and embrace the meaning of First Peter 5:7.
At the time, no credit was available for building churches in that nation. This meant we had to believe for all the finances to come in quickly so we could pay cash as we constructed the massive facility. Then the local authorities gave us a deadline by which the building had to be complete and occupied; otherwise, there was a possibility we could lose everything we had invested. With this kind of pressure on me, I found myself continually worrying that we wouldn’t have enough money to finish the project on time. I was constantly fighting thoughts about losing the building if we didn’t make the deadline that the government had given us.
I would lie in bed at night, rolling this way and that way, turning again and again, unable to sleep because my stomach was churning with acid and my mind was spinning with doubts, worries, fears, reservations, and concerns. My heart pounded harder and harder each day and night as anxiety reached out its demonic fingers to grab hold of my emotions and twist them into a mangled mess of panic. My wife would tell me to quit worrying and start trusting the Lord, but instead of appreciating her advice, I only got angry that she wasn’t worrying with me!
Finally one night, I got up, walked down the hallway to my study, opened my Bible, and read these words: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). I had read this verse thousands of times in my life, but that night it was as if it reached out from the pages of the Bible and grabbed hold of my attention. I read it and read it and read it again. At last, I picked up my Greek New Testament and began to dig deeper into the verse. What I discovered in that verse changed my life and set me free from worry, anxiety, fretting, and fear!
That night, I saw that the word “casting” used in First Peter 5:7 was the Greek word epiripto, a compound of the words epi and ripto. The word epi means upon, as on top of something. The word ripto means to hurl, to throw, or to cast, and it often means to violently throw or to fling something with great force.
The only other place this word epiripto is used in the New Testament is in Luke 19:35, where the Bible says, “And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus there on.” It is important to note this passage, for it correctly conveys the idea of the word epiripto, which in secular literature often pictured the flinging of a garment, bag, or excess weight off the shoulders of a traveler and onto the back of some other beast, such as a donkey, camel, or horse.
We are not designed to carry the burden of worry, fretting, and anxiety. This load is simply too much for the human body and the central nervous system to tolerate. We may be able to manage it for a while, but eventually the physical body and mind will begin to break under this type of perpetual pressure. In fact, the medical world has confirmed that the major source of sickness in the Western Hemisphere is stress and pressure. Man was simply not fashioned to carry pressures, stresses, anxieties, and worries; this is the reason his body breaks down when it undergoes these negative influences for too long.
If you are struggling with sickness or depression, your condition very possibly could be related to stress and pressure. In First Peter 5:7, it is almost as if Jesus is calling out to you and saying, “Your shoulders are not big enough to carry the burdens you’re trying to bear by yourself. This load will eventually break you — so please let ME be your beast of burden! Take that load and heave it with all your might. Fling it over onto MY back, and let ME carry it for you!” Just as Luke 19:35 says they cast their garments upon the back of the donkey, now you need to cast your burdens over on the Lord and let Him carry those burdens for you!
But exactly what problems and cares are we to throw over onto the shoulders of the Lord? The apostle Peter says we are to cast all of “our cares” upon Jesus. The word “cares” is the Greek word merimna, which means anxiety. However, in principle it described any affliction, difficulty, hardship, misfortune, trouble, or complicated circumstance that arises as a result of problems that develop in our lives. It could refer to problems that are financial, marital, job-related, family-related, business-oriented, or anything else that concerns us.
This means anything that causes you worry or anxiety — regardless of why it happened — is what you need to throw over onto the shoulders of Jesus Christ! Nothing is too big or small to talk to the Lord about, Peter says, because He “careth for you.” The word “careth” is taken from the Greek word melei, which means to be concerned; to be thoughtful; to be interested; to be aware; to notice; or to give painful and meticulous attention. Peter uses this word to assure us that Jesus really does care about us and the things that are heavy on our hearts. In fact, He gives meticulous attention to what is happening to us. He is interested in every facet of our lives.
So don’t ever let the devil tell you that your problems are too stupid, small, or insignificant to bring to Jesus. The Lord is interested in everything that concerns you!
Because of the Greek words used in First Peter 5:7, this verse carries the following idea:
“Take that heavy burden, difficulty, or challenge you are carrying — the one that has arisen due to circumstances that have created hardship and struggles in your life — and fling those worries and anxieties over onto the back of the Lord! Let Him carry them for you! The Lord is extremely interested in every facet of your life and is genuinely concerned about your welfare.”
When I saw these Greek words and perceived how deeply Jesus cared about the burdens that were on my heart, I realized I was carrying a load I didn’t have to bear by myself. Jesus was standing right at my side, longing to help me and inviting me to shift the weight from my shoulders to His shoulders. By faith, I heaved those financial cares onto the back of Jesus — and when I did, I was set free from the stress, anxiety, and pressure that had been weighing me down at that time in my life.
You don’t have to carry the whole weight of the world by yourself. Jesus loves you so much and is so deeply concerned about you and the difficulties you are facing that He calls out to you today, “Roll those burdens over on Me. Let Me carry them for you so you can be free!”
If you are lugging around worries, cares, and concerns about your family, your business, your church, or any other area of your life, why not stop right now and say, “Jesus, I’m yielding every one of these concerns to You today. I cast my burden on You, and I thank You for setting me free!”
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for what I’ve read today. I regret having carried these burdens and worries so long by myself when, in fact, You were always ready to take them from me and to carry them on my behalf. But it’s never too late to do what is right, so right now I make the decision to yield to You every one of these matters that are bothering me. Thank You for coming alongside me to take these weights from my shoulders. Because You are so loving and attentive to me, I can now go free!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that Jesus is standing right at my side, yearning to help me and inviting me to shift the weight from my shoulders to His shoulders so I can go free! By faith I have already cast my cares onto Jesus. As a result, I am liberated from stress, anxiety, worries, pressures, and all the other things that have been bothering me!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Do you habitually worry and fret about certain things? What are the issues that weigh on your mind more than anything else?
2. Are you able to cast these cares over onto the Lord, or do you keep stirring yourself up with thoughts of fear, reigniting the fretting and the worry all over again even after you have already released those cares to the Lord?
3. What triggers worry, fretting, and anxiety in you? Have you noticed key words, phrases, or events when worry and fretting begin to operate inside you? Recognizing those moments may help you prevent them from reoccurring, so consider well what kinds of situations arouse these emotions in you.
Peace That Passes Understanding
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:7
Are you tired of letting the devil get you all stirred up? Has it been easy for the enemy to throw you into a frenzy of panic and anxiety? Maybe it doesn’t happen continually to you, but every once in a while, something happens or someone says something that pushes a button inside you and throws you into a tizzy! When this occurs, do you say and do things you later regret? Do you feel sorry that you allowed the devil to get to you again?
If what I just described sounds familiar, I have help for you today! In Philippians 4:7, the apostle Paul writes, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
As we begin our study today, I want to draw your attention to the word “passeth” in the verse above. It is the Greek word huperecho, which is a compound of the words huper and echo. The word huper literally means over, above, and beyond. It depicts something that is way beyond measure. It carries the idea of superiority; something that is utmost, paramount, foremost, first-rate, first-class, and top-notch; greater, higher, and better than; superior to; preeminent, dominant, and incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed or unequaled. The second part of the word “passeth” is the Greek word echo, which means I have, as someone who holds something in his possession. It can be translated to keep; to possess; to have; to hold; or even to acquire.
When these words are compounded into one, they form the word huperecho, which Paul uses in Philippians 4:7. This Greek word denotes a peace so superior that it is held high above all other types of peace. This is a peace that transcends, outdoes, surpasses, excels, rises above, goes beyond and over the top of any other kind of peace. The implication is that people may try to find peace in other places, but there is no peace like the peace of God. The peace of God completely outshines every other attempt to produce peace, causing it to stand in a category by itself. There is absolutely nothing in the world that can compare with the peace of God.
Paul continues to tell us that this peace surpasses and excels above “all understanding.” The word “understanding” is the Greek word nous, the classical Greek word for the mind. This word refers to the ability to think, to reason, to understand, and to comprehend. It also depicts the mind as the source of all human emotions. In Greek, the word “mind” represents the inner powers of a person and thus the place from which a person rules and controls his environment and the world around him. The Greek word emphatically depicts the mind as the central control center for a human being. Therefore, it was understood that the condition of the mind is what determined the condition of one’s life.
Then Paul tells us what this powerful peace will produce in our lives! He says that this peace “…shall keep your hearts and minds….” The word “keep” is the Greek word phroureo, a military term that expresses the idea of soldiers who stood faithfully at their post at the city gates to guard and control all who went in and out of the city. They served as gate monitors, and no one entered or exited the city without their approval.
The apostle Paul uses this word phroureo to explicitly tell us that God’s peace, if allowed to work in our lives, will stand at the gates of our hearts and minds, acting like a guard to control and monitor everything that tries to enter our hearts, minds, and emotions. When God’s peace is ruling us, nothing can get past that divine “guard” and slip into our hearts and minds without its approval!
This is the good news you’ve been waiting for! It means you can refuse to allow the devil to access you, throw you into a state of panic and anxiety, or push any button inside you any longer. When the peace of God is standing guard at the entrance of your heart and mind, the devil has lost his access to your thought life and your emotions!
Taking these Greek words together, Philippians 4:7 could be understood in the following way:
“And the peace of God — a peace so wonderful that it cannot be compared to any other type of peace; a peace that stands in a category by itself and rises far above and goes beyond anything the human mind could ever think, reason, imagine, or produce by itself — will stand at the entrance of your heart and mind, working like a guard to control, monitor, and screen everything that tries to access your mind, heart, and emotions.”
By using this word, Paul tells us that the peace of God will keep and guard your heart and mind! God’s peace will surround your heart and mind just as a band of Roman soldiers would keep dangerous nuisances from entering a city or from breaking into special, private places. In the same way, peace keeps fretfulness, anxiety, worry, and all the other wiles of the devil from breaking into your life. When this peace is active in your life, it surpasses all natural understanding. It protects, guards, keeps, and defends you.
Nothing compares to this powerful, protective, guarding peace that God has positioned to stand at the entrance of your heart and mind! When this peace operates in you, it dominates your mind and your life. Since what is inside you is that which rules you, peace rises up and conquers your entire being. It stands at the gate of your heart and mind, disabling the devil’s ability to disturb you by preventing his attacks from bypassing and slipping into your mind. The devil may try his best to find access to your mind and emotions, but this guarding peace will paralyze his efforts.
So make sure Philippians 4:7 is a reality in your life. In every situation you face today and every day, let God’s supernatural peace rise up to dominate your heart and protect your mind and emotions. If you’re tired of the devil getting you all stirred up and throwing you into a tizzy, it’s time for you to let this supernatural peace go to work and start monitoring, guarding, and approving what does and does not get access to you!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, I thank You for placing Your wonderful, powerful, protective peace in my life. I am grateful that You have positioned it to stand at the entrance of my heart and mind and that it dominates my mind and controls my life. Because what is inside me is what rules me, I choose to let this peace rise up and conquer me. With this peace standing at the gate of my heart and mind, I know it will disable the devil’s ability to attack my emotions and will not permit his lies and accusations to slip into my mind! Thank You for loving me enough to put this powerful peace in my life!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I am guarded and protected by the powerful peace of God that works in my life. It rises up to dominate my mind; it controls my thinking; and it determines the condition of my life and the environment where I live and work. I am unaffected by the circumstances that surround me, for this supernatural peace stands at the gate of my mind and emotions to monitor everything that tries to access me. Because no fretting, anxiety, panic, or worry is allowed to enter me, I remain free, calm, and peaceful — even in difficult situations that in the past would have upset me!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. Have you noticed specific events or moments in your life when the devil seems to be able to access your mind and emotions to upset your peace and throw you into one of these regrettable fits I’ve described to you today? If your answer is yes, do you know the “buttons” he pushes to throw you into this state that you detest?
2. What can you do to slow your reactions down long enough to let the peace of God rise up and conquer your emotions so you don’t end up saying and doing things you later regret?
3. Why don’t you really think this through and ask the Holy Spirit to help you come up with some ideas you can write down and pray about?
Are You Dressed In the Whole Armor of God?
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
— Ephesians 6:11
Not far from our personal residence is Moscow’s Great Kremlin Palace. Its massive red brick walls rise to the sky with bell towers and clock towers. Its huge, famous ruby-red stars can be seen from all directions in the city of Moscow. One entire side of the Kremlin is surrounded by the beautiful and historical Red Square, which includes St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s tomb. Another side of the Kremlin is encompassed with the lovely, tree-lined Alexandrovski Gardens.
At the far end of that Garden is a tall tower through which thousands of tourists enter every year to visit the State Armory Museum, one of the most fabulous museums in the entire world. As a person enters the State Armory Museum, he quickly becomes mesmerized as he walks past glass-enclosed dresses spun of pure silver that formerly adorned Russian queens. He can’t help but be stunned by the dazzling crowns and regalia worn by the Russian monarchy.
As the onlooker is led along the museum corridors, he looks in amazement at thrones made of ivory, covered with diamonds or spiked with precious stones. With fascination he gapes at the gold-covered, diamond-encrusted carriages that once transported various branches of the Russian royal family.
But a favorite part of the museum, especially for men, is the section that displays the heavy metal armor that was once worn in battle hundreds of years ago. Behind walls of glass, one can look at hundreds of years of metal armor, including a huge horse that is dressed in heavy metal armor from medieval times. Every time I see this armor section of the museum, I think of Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The phrase “whole armor” is taken from the Greek word panoplia, and it refers to a Roman soldier who is fully dressed in his armor from head to toe. It is the word pan, which means all, combined with the word hoplos, which is the Greek word for armor. Together they form the word panoplia, which was officially recognized as the word to describe the full attire and weaponry of a Roman soldier.
Although not all-inclusive, the following list is the basic military hardware each soldier possessed:
- Loinbelt
This was the central piece of weaponry that held much of the other pieces of armor in place. In Ephesians 6:14, Paul tells us that the believer is equipped with a loinbelt of truth, referring to the written Word of God.
- Breastplate
This was a crucial piece of weaponry that defended the heart and the central organs of the body against attack. In Ephesians 6:14, Paul informs us that in our spiritual arsenal, we have at our disposal the “breastplate of righteousness.”
- Greaves
These specially formed pieces of metal were wrapped around the soldier’s lower legs to protect him from being bruised and scraped and to defend his lower extremities from being hit hard and broken. In Ephesians 6:15, Paul refers to this vital piece of weaponry when he tells us that our feet are “…shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
- Shoes
These heavy-duty shoes of a Roman soldier were covered with thick leather on the top and fitted with hobnails on the tip of the toe and the back of the heel. They were also heavily spiked with hobnails on their undersides. Paul makes reference to these shoes in Ephesians 6:15 when he talks about our feet being “…shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
- Shield
The shield that the Roman soldier used in battle was long, door-shaped, and covered with leather hide. It was lubricated every day by the soldier to keep it soft and flexible so arrows that struck the shield would slide off and fall to the ground rather than penetrate it. In Ephesians 6:16, Paul declares that as a believer, you are specially outfitted with a “…shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
- Helmet
The helmet of a Roman soldier, made either of brass or some other type of metal, was especially fitted to the shape of the soldier’s head, thus protecting the head from receiving a mortal wound from an arrow, a sword, or an ax. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul proclaims the good news that God has provided every believer with “the helmet of salvation” to protect him against the mental assaults of the enemy.
- Sword
The Roman soldier’s sword, shaped similarly to a long dagger that was intended to be used in close battle, was absolutely indispensable to his ability to attack, overcome, and defeat his adversary. In Ephesians 6:17, we are taught by Paul that every believer has “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This sword is God’s Word, specially quickened inside us to use in times when we are in close combat with the adversary.
- Lance
The lance gave the Roman soldier the ability to strike his enemy from a distance; therefore, no Roman soldier would be caught without his lance. Although Paul does not specifically mention the lance in his list of weaponry in Ephesians 6, it is suggested in verse 18 when Paul writes, “Praying always.…” With the lance of prayer, each believer is able to assault the enemy from a distance, doing him so much damage that he is paralyzed in his attempts to come any nearer!
Because of Paul’s many imprisonments, this was an easy illustration for Paul to use. Standing next to these illustrious soldiers during his prison internments, Paul could see the Roman soldier’s loinbelt; huge breastplate; brutal shoes affixed with spikes; massive, full-length shield; intricate helmet; piercing sword; and long, specially tooled lance that could be thrown a tremendous distance to hit the enemy from afar.
Everything the soldier needed to successfully combat his adversary was at his disposal. Likewise, we have been given the whole armor of God — everything we need to successfully combat opposing forces. Nothing is lacking! Every piece of armor has great significance for us in our battle against an unseen enemy.
God has provided everything you need to successfully stand up to the devil, to resist him, and to defeat him. Will you choose to obey or ignore Paul’s urgent command to “put on the whole armor of God”? Your success against an enemy that seeks every opportunity to destroy you depends on the choice you make!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, how can I ever thank You enough for providing me with everything I need to successfully stand against each and every attack the devil tries to bring against my life? I thank You for loving me enough to equip me with these kinds of spiritual weapons. Because of what You have provided for me, I can stand fast, confident that I can withstand every assault, drive out the enemy, and win every battle. Without You, this would be impossible; but with Your power and the weapons You have provided for me, I am amply supplied with everything I need to push the enemy out of my way and out of my life!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I joyfully declare that I am dressed in the whole armor of God. There isn’t a part of me that hasn’t been supernaturally clothed and protected by the defensive and offensive weapons God has provided for me. I proceed with my loinbelt of truth; I walk in my shoes of peace; I boldly wear my breastplate of righteousness; I hold up my shield of faith; I am clad in my helmet of salvation; I make use of my sword of the Spirit; and I have a lance of intercession that deals a blow to the enemy from a distance every time I aggressively pray!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. How long has it been since you took time to stop and reflect on all the weaponry that God has provided for your defense and offense against the enemy?
2. Have you ever taken time to deeply study the spiritual weapons that God has supernaturally provided for you? If yes, what other steps can you take and what other books can you read to become better acquainted with this subject?
3. What did you learn from reading today’s Sparkling Gem that you never realized before? After you think this question through and come up with the answer, why not share it with someone else today?
Don’t Do What You’re Tempted To Do When Someone Gets Ugly With You!
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
— 2 Timothy 2:24
Have you ever found yourself in a predicament where you were trying to help someone who resisted you, spoke disrespectfully to you, and just flat out acted ugly? In that instant, did you find your blood boiling, your temperature rising, and your emotions agitated? Were you so angry that you felt like you would detonate? Be honest! Did you feel tempted to fly into a rage, lecture the ingrate derogatorily for his attitude, or even slap him right across the face?
It’s natural to feel exasperated when someone you are trying to help doesn’t respond appropriately to the assistance you are offering. But yielding to your own emotions and getting in the flesh won’t make the situation any better. In fact, it will only make the situation worse! So hold your tongue, stay seated in your chair, and keep your head on straight when you find yourself in a situation like this!
Many years ago, Denise and I had one particular employee who was extremely gifted — but he was one of the most difficult people to work with I’ve ever met in my life. This man was rude, insubordinate, critical of others, and regularly late to work. On the other hand, he was very talented and produced great results in his job. One day I wanted to fire him; the next day, I wanted to reward him. It was such an emotional mixture! How I wished this employee would just calm down, talk nicely to people, and learn how to get along with others!
From time to time, I had to sit down and talk to this man about his attitude. But dealing with him was so excruciatingly laborious. I dreaded those moments when I knew I had to sit down to talk to him. Here I was, trying to help this employee — but rather than receive correction graciously and thank me for trying to take him to a higher level, he would argue, debate, or try to turn the conversation around and point his finger at other people. It simply exasperated me, yet I knew that God wanted me to work with and teach this man; therefore, I had to remain self-controlled and not allow myself to get caught up in the flesh and knock him flat!
Have you ever felt this way before? Can you remember a time when you tried to help your child, but your child’s response was belligerent and unreceptive to you? Or can you recall a time when you worked with a fellow employee whose attitude toward the boss was so bad that he or she deserved to be fired for it? Or perhaps you can remember someone at church who had a critical attitude toward the pastor and got involved in ugly backbiting and gossip. I hope it wasn’t you!
When Timothy was serving as pastor of the Ephesian church, he had some insubordinate people in church leadership positions. Apparently he had written to Paul about this problem, because when Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he addressed the problem, telling Timothy what kind of attitude he needed to maintain when dealing with people who had bad attitudes. Paul said, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24).
The word “strive” is the Greek word machomai, and it means to quarrel, dispute, argue, or to get into strife or contention with someone else. At first, this Greek word was used to picture armed combatants who exchanged blows with deadly weapons. Later, it came to denote men who fought hand to hand — striking, punching, wrangling, and rolling on the ground as they slugged it out with each other. But by the time of the New Testament when Paul used the word machomai in this verse, it depicted people who were at odds with each other bickering, squabbling, and slugging it out — not with swords or fists, but with their words. So Paul urges Timothy (and all of us) not to allow ourselves to get dragged into a war of words when we are trying to correct people who have bad attitudes.
Next, Paul tells us that we must be “gentle.” This is the Greek word epios, which means to be mild-mannered, kind, temperate, calm, or gentle. We find this word used by Paul in First Thessalonians 2:7, where he reminds the Thessalonians of how he had behaved among them. He writes, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.”
It is important that we see how Paul uses the word epios in the context of caring for little children. This suggests that now Paul is telling Timothy to realize that he is dealing with immature people whom he must treat like children. Parents are to teach and discipline their children without “flying off the handle” every time their children are rude or disrespectful. Now Timothy must assume this kind of parental, correcting, teaching role in the way he deals with these who are acting inappropriately in his church.
When people behave disrespectfully toward their boss, their department director, their pastor, or their parents, they are demonstrating that they are not smart and certainly not mature. When you see this, it should send up a red flag before you to let you know the maturity level you are dealing with in the lives of these individuals. Even if they are called to the ministry; even if they have been to Bible school; even if they have been members of your church for a long time — the fact that they would act disrespectfully toward authority reveals that these people are still young in terms of maturity.
You should thank God that this came to light. Had you moved these individuals upward into a higher place of visibility while they were still at this deficient level of maturity, it would have been a big problem for you later. But now you can see that they’re not ready for a higher place of responsibility. You can also visibly discern the areas in which you need to help them so they can maximize their potential in the Lord.
Second Timothy 2:24 could be translated to read:
“And the servant of the Lord must not get caught up in a war of words — wrangling, wrestling, bickering, squabbling, arguing, and verbally slugging it out with his contenders. Instead, he must be calm, steady, temperate, kind, and gentle in the way he responds.…”
So when you try to bring correction into someone’s life who is under your authority and that person doesn’t initially respond the way he should, don’t let it ruffle your feathers or throw you into a state of exasperation. Certainly you shouldn’t allow yourself to get so caught up in emotions that you descend to their level and start acting just like them!
This is a time for you to “put on your parent-teacher hat.” Lovingly deal with that person like a child or a young person who needs to be taught how to respond to authority and who needs guidance and correction from someone who loves him.
And what should you do if you get stirred up and enter into the fray of flesh, allowing yourself to get entrenched in a war of words? Thank God that your own level of maturity has been exposed! Not only does that other person need to grow, but this situation has revealed a flaw in your own character, drawing attention to an obvious area in your own life that needs attention, correction, and a higher level of maturity. So as you pray for that other person to grow, don’t forget to include yourself on your prayer list!
My Prayer for Today
Lord, please help me to be calm, kind, and gentle when I find it necessary to correct people who are under my care. Forgive me for any time that I’ve allowed myself to become angry and exasperated and for those times when I have said things I shouldn’t have allowed myself to speak. Help me act like a real leader, taking a parental-teacher role. I know I am called to help take people to a higher level in their work, their attitudes, and their lives. So help me to be more like You in the way I deal with people who are under my authority and care. As I learn to bring correction to others the way You bring correction into MY life, I will become a good example and the kind of leader You have called me to be.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
My Confession for Today
I confess that I have the mind of Christ for every situation I face in life. When it is necessary for me to speak correction to a member of my team, I speak with compassion and love from my heart. I desire the best for every person whom God has placed under my authority and care. Therefore, when I deal with these individuals, I approach them from a standpoint of how I can best help them grow, help them develop, and help them become all God has called them to be. I don’t get angry, frustrated, or exasperated if they get upset; instead, I remain calm, kind, and gentle as I deal with the people whom God has entrusted to my care.
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Questions to Answer
1. As you read this today, did your mind drift back to a past situation when you had to correct someone who didn’t respond in the right way to your correction? If so, how did you react to that person’s wrong response?
2. Can you think of a time when someone in authority over you tried to correct you, but you responded in an insubordinate and closed-hearted manner, making it difficult for that person to correct you?
3. As you reflect on times in the past when you’ve had to correct someone, what do you think you could do differently to help people more easily receive your correction in the future? Is there anything in your style of bringing correction that should be changed so people don’t feel intimidated but rather feel embraced and loved by what you are telling them?