A Special Message About Living in the Last Days
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
— 2 Timothy 1:7


This is the greatest hour for the Church of Jesus Christ. A massive harvest is coming into the Church all over the world. Statistics prove that right now more people are coming to Jesus worldwide than at any other point in history. The Spirit of God is swinging the Gospel sickle, and millions upon millions of souls are being swept into the Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord! This is one of the greatest signs in evidence today that we are near to the coming of Jesus.

But right in the midst of all this, events have occurred throughout the earth that have shaken the nations of the world and filled men’s hearts with fear. I am convinced that part of this worldwide assault has been the devil’s attempt to put believers in fear so they will retreat from this worldwide Gospel advance. Although we need to be wise and do what we can to protect ourselves in times such as these, we do not need to react in fear. Fear is never the answer, for it results in blurred thinking and bad decisions.

God’s Word promises us a sound mind if we will claim it. When Timothy was facing hard times, Paul told him, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

This verse says that God has given us a “sound mind.” This comes from the Greek word sophroneo, and it is a compound of the words sozo and phroneo. The word sozo is the Greek word for salvation. It means deliverance, protection, and soundness. The word phroneo is the root for the word mind. When these two words are put together as in this verse, the new word is translated sound mind. The idea presented by the word sophroneo is a mind that is saved and protected or a mind that is sound. It is just the opposite of a mind given to fear, panic, or unfounded and unreasonable thinking. This word describes a mind that is thinking correctly!

Because God has given us a “sound mind,” we can think correctly about how to live in these last days — a time that Second Timothy 3:1 predicts will be “perilous.” The word “perilous” in that verse is the Greek word chalepos, and it literally means something that is difficult, dangerous, or filled with risk. This is a prophetic warning to let us know that those who live in the very last of the last days will be confronted with a strange period of time like mankind has never seen before. It will be a time filled with difficulty, danger, and risk.

In this last Sparkling Gem of the year, I want to give you what Denise and I believe is a sensible approach to living in these last days. To ensure that we are doing all we can to remain in the blessings of God, these are the steps my wife and I apply to our own lives. These are the Holy Spirit’s orders to Denise and me, and now I am passing them on to you as they’ve been given to us.

Living in the last days requires that we have a greater sensitivity to the Spirit of God. Romans 8:14 declares that one of the privileges of being a son of God is that the Spirit of God leads us. The word “led” is the Greek word ago. It is the picture of someone extending his hand to you so he can gently lead you.

In these last days, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit will lead us only if we give Him this right. Oh, how many times the Spirit of God has wanted to be our Leader, but we went our own way and ultimately suffered the consequences! He knew exactly how to lead us past every attack. He knew how to avoid each strategy of the devil.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “...shew you things to come” (John 16:13). The word “shew” is the Greek word odegeo and is the word for a guide who shows a traveler the safest course through an unknown country. This means the Holy Spirit is our Guide. He knows the way we should go. He understands how to avoid every trap and obstacle along the way. When we are going into an area we’ve never been before, the Holy Spirit wants to show us how to take the safest route. He knows exactly how to get us safely to our future point of destination.

The Holy Spirit often stopped Jesus from going to certain regions because the Jews were waiting to trap Him. To avoid these traps, the Holy Spirit would guide Jesus another way. The Spirit also warned Paul not to go to certain places for the same reason. Also in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit warned the Early Church in advance about persecution, famine, and other trials.

The Holy Spirit knows the future and wants to enlighten us with all the information we need in every situation. This is part of His ministry to you and me.

If the Holy Spirit speaks to you and tells you to do something specific, then obey Him! Do you remember when the death angel passed through Egypt and took the firstborn of all the Egyptians? The reason Israel was unaffected was that the Israelites obeyed the instructions God gave them to put blood on the doorposts of their houses. They brushed that lamb’s blood on the doors of their homes just as God had ordered. Later when the death angel came, he passed by every home where he saw blood on the doorposts. In the end, not one of the Israelites was touched!

But what if Israel had disregarded God’s instructions and tried to protect themselves another way? Would their efforts have worked? Of course not. God told them how to be protected. All they had to do was obey. If they did what God told them, they were guaranteed protection and blessing. They were untouched because they walked in obedience. Weeping, crying, and mourning were heard in Egypt, but not in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived. They found protection in their obedience to the Word of God.

As we obey the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we will have wisdom to know every step we need to take in the days ahead. All we have to do is obey God’s instructions, and He guarantees us blessing and provision even in difficult times. But if we try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for us to claim. We must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection.

 As a spiritual leader and friend, I want to encourage you to increase your level of faith, especially if you are facing challenging times. Stand on the Word of God; exercise your faith; listen to the Holy Spirit; and obey what He tells you to do. As you do these things, God’s supernatural blessings will kick into action, and you will soon find a river of supernatural provision flowing to you.

There is no doubt that we are living in some of the most challenging days the world has ever seen. But you can face these times victoriously because God has given you a sound mind; He has given you the promises of His Word; and He has given you the leadership of His Spirit. Never has there been a more crucial time for you to operate in faith and not fear and to believe for a mighty move of God to take place on this earth!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, as an end-time believer, I need to be filled with faith and not with fear. Help me to fill my heart with Your Word, to stand on Your promises, to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to exercise my faith more than ever before! I know that fear has blurred my thinking in times past, but it will NOT have any place in my life from this day forward! Instead, I release my faith and confidently expect to be a partaker in the last and greatest harvest of souls ever to be reaped for the Kingdom of God! Holy Spirit, help me rise to the occasion as I become an instrument God can use in these last days.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am filled with faith and not fear, and that I am excited to live in these last days. God has chosen for me to live in some of the most challenging days the world has ever seen, but I will face these times victoriously. He has given me a sound mind, the promises of His Word, and the leadership of His Spirit. Therefore, I will NOT retreat in fear or panic; instead, I am believing to be a part of the mightiest harvest of souls that history has ever seen!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you listen to the Holy Spirit when He nudges your heart and gives you direction?
2. As the calendar turns and the New Year begins, what instructions has the Holy Spirit already given you regarding the next twelve months?
3. Are you spending time with the Lord so He can speak to your heart? What changes do you need to make in your life so you can spend more quality time with the Lord during the next year?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Spiritual Rest
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
— Matthew 11:28


I am convinced that one reason the devil has access to people’s emotions is that they keep flying through life without taking time to get renewed in the Presence of the Lord. They ignore their need to sit, to rest, and to wait upon the Lord. As a result, their perception of things around them gets blurred. Doing too much at too fast of a pace has worn them down, causing them to lose their focus and affecting their ability to see things the way they really are.

I know exactly what it’s like to move at such a fast pace — to get the adrenaline flowing and then keep it flowing like a river for days at a time. When you’re moving that fast, it’s difficult to stop when you finally try to sit down and rest because your adrenaline is still racing. You may be sitting down physically, but you’re still running emotionally!
   
There’s a big problem with moving so fast. The demands of our schedule — job, family, church, friendships, and so forth — start piling up, each overlaying the other as we race from place to place. When this happens, we start becoming ineffective in every area of life. We’re just trying to do too much, too fast. Eventually our busyness leads to a breakdown of everything. The body suffers. The mind suffers. The work suffers because we’re too tired to perform at 100 percent and therefore can’t do our job to our full potential. This then results in our having to battle feelings of condemnation for not doing a better job!

Let’s face it — it’s extremely difficult to do everything simultaneously. You may be able to swing it for a while, but in time, you’ll start missing important details, forgetting what you said, missing appointments, messing up in your finances, and even getting emotional over unemotional issues because you’ve pushed yourself beyond your limit. If this is you, slow down and set aside some time to spend with the Lord.

I have to admit that sometimes I also fall into the trap of doing too many things too fast. At times, I feel like a locomotive that is racing down the track! It’s not that I want to move so fast, but to get it all done correctly, I have to keep moving and stay on schedule. If I delay in one area, it throws everything else off schedule and creates a schedule crisis for many others in the ministry. For everyone else to do their jobs effectively, it means I must stay on schedule and keep on track every day of my life.

In moments when I feel overwhelmed, I hear Jesus speak to my spirit and say, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Notice that Jesus begins this verse, “Come unto me....” This is from the Greek word deute, and it is a greeting that literally means, “Come — come now! I am inviting you to come!” In Greek, it has the feeling of an exclamation, which lets us know that Jesus joyfully welcomes us to come to Him.

Jesus then says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour....” This implies that Jesus’ invitation to come to Him is a special invitation directed to those who “labour.” The word “labour” in Greek is from the word kopiao, which describes a person who has become completely exhausted due to nonstop, continuous work. This is obviously a person who has a lot of responsibility and is doing his best to do it all in a professional and excellent fashion. In order to do everything that is on his plate, this person is required to work hard all the time. That’s why Jesus beckons this person to come to Him!

And Jesus doesn’t beckon only the hard worker; He also calls out to those who are “heavy laden.” These words are from the word phortidzo, depicting a person who is carrying a very heavy load on his back. Perhaps this load is his job, his family, his financial situation, or some personal burden. Regardless of what it is, Jesus pleads for the “heavy laden” person to come to Him!

To anyone who responds to this invitation and comes to Jesus, He promises that He will give them “rest.” The word “rest” is the Greek word anapauo, the word that means to refresh, to rejuvenate, to reinvigorate, or to revitalize. You see, the Lord wants to refresh us so we can keep doing what He has called us to do. He wants us to be refilled so we can remain effective.

The only way we can remain continually effective is by making sure we spend time with the Lord.
But in order to truly enter His Presence so we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, we must first quiet ourselves by getting away from the commotion of life and finding a quiet place to worship, pray, and read the Word. That’s the only way we can quiet our soul enough to be able to hear God’s voice speaking to our inner man. To think that we are going to run into the Lord’s Presence and get everything we need in the space of five minutes just isn’t realistic. We must schedule time to be alone with God.

Don’t just run in and run out of the Lord’s Presence. Plan to settle down and stay there long enough to get everything you need to carry on! Once you’ve stopped long enough to really rest in His Presence, you’re finally in a position where you can start receiving from Him. Don’t move too fast. Don’t leave until you receive the refreshing you need. Just hang around in God’s Presence as long as you possibly can! Tarry there awhile, and let the Holy Spirit give you peace, joy, strength, and direction.

Learn to rest in God’s Presence. You see, there is a quiet place in Him, a place of refreshing, where you will find comfort, peace, and protection — every time. This is why Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t say He will come to you. He says that you must choose to go to Him! But if you will make the deliberate choice to wait upon the Lord, Jesus promises that you will find this promised rest!

This is your key to remaining steadfast and strong enough to keep on schedule and to stay on track with everything you need to do. And I promise you — if you will wait long enough in His Presence, He will speak to your heart to let you know if all your activities are ordained of Him or if there are some obligations or activities you need to eliminate.

Spending time with the Lord is not an option — it is the answer! So come into the Presence of God and allow Him to refresh you. As you do, the Holy Spirit will release His resurrection power and you will be quickened in your physical body. You will be strengthened, refreshed, recharged, and supernaturally empowered by God so you can get back out there with a fresh perspective and new energy to finish what you have started!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I know that You have been calling out to me, beckoning me to spend time with You. But I’ve been so busy that I haven’t made time in my schedule to come to You. Today I am making the choice to put everything else aside and to make my time with You the top priority in my day. I need Your strength; I need Your fellowship; I need Your tender touch; and I need to hear Your voice. Spirit of God, my schedule is very full, and I need special strength to make it through this busy time. So I am coming to You today to be refreshed so I can carry on!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that the only way I can remain continually effective is to spend time with the Lord. I will therefore quiet myself from the commotion of life and get into the Presence of Jesus. I will settle down and plan to stay there long enough to get everything I need from Him. Staying in His Presence is not an option! It is my key to remaining steadfast and strong enough to keep on schedule and to stay on track with everything I need to do. The Holy Spirit will release His resurrection power in me, and I will be strengthened, refreshed, recharged, and empowered by God. Then I can get back out there with a fresh perspective and new energy to finish what I’ve started!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. When do you regularly spend time with the Lord? Is your time with Him more important to you than all the other things that you’re scheduled to accomplish? If your time with Him really is that important, is there a reason you haven’t planned it into your schedule?
2. When you spend time with the Lord, how long do you usually stay in His Presence? What do you do when you are there with Him? Do you read your Bible, pray, sing songs of worship?
3. How can you rework your schedule to make sure your time with God is the top priority? Why don’t you look at your calendar and see what you can move around in order to accommodate your time with Jesus?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Your Flesh Will Obey Your Commands!
...If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
— Luke 17:6


Jesus said that when you finally decide to deal with the wrong attitudes that have stalked and hounded your life for so long, you must order them to “...be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea...” (Luke 17:6).

The words “plucked up by the root” are from the Greek word ekridzoo, which is a compound of the words ek and ridzo. The word ek means out, and the word ridzo is the Greek word for a root, like the roots of a plant. When joined into one word, the compound word means to rip out by the roots.

This is not a person who hopes the plant will be removed but does nothing to make it happen. Quite the contrary! This is the picture of a person who wraps his hands around the base of that plant, pulls with all his might, and rips the roots of that plant right out of the ground. He has made the determination that he is not going to stop until the ground he stands on is totally free from the roots of that nasty plant so that it will never produce life there again!

That’s the way you have to deal with wrong attitudes that have been deeply rooted in your soul for a long time. I guarantee you that if those attitudes have been at work in you for a long time, they are now deeply rooted in the way you think and behave. At this point, the only way they are going to be ripped out of your soul is by your determined choice to do whatever is necessary to rip them out. There can be no accidental deliverance from these attitudes. If your heart is to be liberated, it will only happen as you choose to be liberated and then do something about it!

Once you’ve ripped those attitudes out of the soil of your soul, the Lord Jesus said that we need to command them to “be planted in the sea.” The word “planted” is from the Greek word phuteuo, which would normally describe the planting of a plant. However, plants are not normally planted in the sea, so Jesus must have had something else in mind by using this word. The word phuteuo in this verse means to be permanently relocated to the “sea.”

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus said you have to command wrong attitudes to be planted in the sea? Why didn’t He tell us to throw them into the garbage pile? Why did Jesus say to permanently relocate those wrong attitudes in the sea?

The sea is made of salt water. Salt water won’t allow a plant to grow because the salt would kill the roots. So once a plant or tree is thrown into the seawater, it becomes a dead issue. No matter how hard you try, that plant will never grow again. Its life is gone forever! If you planted it in the garbage pile, it could reestablish its roots and grow again. But by throwing it into the sea, you have plunged those wrong attitudes into a place where they will never grow, never re-root, and never produce life again. Once in the sea, they are dead forever!

This is so very important in the context of this verse, for it tells us that Jesus doesn’t want us to be just temporarily relieved of these destructive attitudes; He wants us to be permanently freed of them. He wants them to become dead issues that never stalk or hound us again.

This is precisely how you have to look at the dead issues that you’ve spoken to and commanded to go. Once you’ve told bitterness and unforgiveness to leave, don’t ever allow them to take root in your life again! Even if your flesh would like to dwell on those old hurts again, don’t allow that bitter tree to come back to life! Bury it in the sea of forgetfulness so its roots can never regain a foothold in your soul.

 Jesus told us to say to the sycamine tree, “Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” Notice the last phrase, “...and it should obey you.” The word “obey” is the Greek word hupakouo, which means to submit and to obey.

Your out-of-control emotions are just like an out-of-control child. That child will rant, rave, and carry on all day long until you finally stand up and tell him to straighten up and act right! In the same way, the flesh will pout, throw a temper tantrum, and carry on to a ridiculous extent — until you finally decide that enough is enough! When you make that choice to rise up, speak to your emotions, and exert your authority in Jesus Christ, your flesh WILL obey your commands!

• If you don’t take authority over your flesh and emotions, they will continue to dominate and hound you.
• If you’ll stand up to your emotions and plant them in the sea forever, they will obey you!

So today I must ask, “Isn’t it time for you to rise up and take charge of the situation in your soul?” Never forget that it is your soul, so you are responsible for what happens there. Even if others have wronged you, it is simply a fact that you are the only one who has the power to allow such a foul tree of bitterness to grow inside your soul. It is your responsibility to remove those bitter roots and be freed of that inner mess.

The Holy Spirit is present right now to help you make the choice to forgive, forget, and permanently walk free of the past wrongs that others have committed against you — or the wrongs you think they committed against you. Right now it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. What matters is that you uproot that tree of bitterness before it begins producing deadly fruit in your life.

So by faith, reach out and grab hold of the base of that ugly growth. Grip it tightly; pull with all your might; and rip those roots right of out of your heart. Then dump that gnarly tree of bitterness and unforgiveness permanently in the sea where it will never bother you again!
 

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I thank You that I don’t ever have to be stalked and hounded by bitter attitudes and wrong thinking for the rest of my life. With the authority You have given me, I can speak to those attitudes and command them to go! I can speak to my flesh, and it will obey me. Rather than be conquered by my flesh, my negative emotions, and my wrong attitudes, I am asking You to help me rise up to take authority over my soul and clean up the mess that has been made inside my head. I know that with Your help, my whole perspective can change!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that it is time for me to rise up and take charge of the situation in my soul! It is my soul, so I am responsible for what happens there. Even if others did wrong to me, I choose to forgive, forget, and permanently walk free. Right now it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. What matters is that I uproot the tree of bitterness before it produces any more deadly fruit in my life. So by faith, I am reaching out to grab hold of the base of that ugly growth. I am gripping it tightly and pulling with all my might to rip those roots right out of my heart! Those old thoughts no longer have a right to operate inside me. They are now dead issues — cast once and for all into the sea where they can’t hound me anymore!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you have a wrong attitude that has been deeply rooted in your soul for a long time?
2. If the answer is yes, are you ready and willing to rip that foul growth out of your soul today with the power of your spoken, faith-filled words and by your authority in the name of Jesus?
3. There will be no accidental deliverance from these attitudes, so what steps do you plan to take to see that your heart is fully liberated once and for all?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

It’s Time for You To Speak to Yourself!
...If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
— Luke 17:6


When Jesus taught His disciples about the evil effects of bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense, He also told them how to uproot and remove offenses and unforgiveness from the heart. Praise God that Jesus didn’t just identify the problem and then leave us to figure out our deliverance by ourselves! He took it one step further and gave us the secret weapon for jerking those roots clear out of the ground and sending them to a place where they will never again produce their wicked fruit in us.

Jesus said, “...If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6). Notice Jesus said, “...Ye might say unto this sycamine tree....” In order to get rid of these destructive devices, you have to rise up and take authority over them!
   
 Jesus specifically said that you must literally speak to the sycamine tree. The word “say” used in Luke 17:6 is the Greek word lego, which means to speak, but the tense that is used depicts a strong, stern, serious, deeply felt kind of speaking. In other words, this isn’t a person who mutters thoughtless nonsense; this is a person who has made an inward resolution and now speaks authoritatively and with great conviction.

Your voice represents your authority; therefore, when you raise your voice, you release your authority. That is why you must speak to these attitudes and not just think about them. You can think all you want about removing those poisonous roots in your life, but your thoughts will not remove them. But when you get so tired of living under the stress and strain of bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense that you lift your voice and command these foul forces to go, they will finally begin to obey you!

I promise you, friend — if you wait until you feel like speaking to those ugly attitudes, you’ll never do it! If you depend on your feelings and emotions to motivate you, you’ll never be free of offense and unforgiveness. Your feelings and emotions will tell you that you have a right and a reason to feel the way you do. Your flesh will talk you into hanging on to those unprofitable, harmful attitudes. So make the choice not to listen to your negative emotions anymore; then start exercising your God-given authority by speaking to yourself!

It is time for you to accept personal responsibility for your inward condition. Stop blaming everyone else for all your bad attitudes, and acknowledge that there is something inside you that needs to be removed! Jesus said you must speak to that “sycamine tree” and tell it to go!

• If you don’t speak to your emotions, they will speak to you.
• If you don’t take authority over your emotions, they will take authority over you.
• If you don’t rise up and conquer your flesh, it will rise up and conquer you!
• So quit letting your emotions tell you what to think, what to do, and how to react.
•  It’s time for YOU to do the talking and to take command of your own thought life!

You have to treat bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness like they are enemies that have come to corrupt your soul. You must see them as bandits that have come to steal your joy, your peace, and your relationships. Would you throw open the door and allow a bandit to ravage your home? Of course not! In addition to using all the power available to you for removing that bandit, you’d probably command him to get out of your house! And I seriously doubt that you would whisper at him; most likely you would yell and scream as you ordered him out!

Likewise, you must decide not to tolerate this spiritual pestilence any longer, not even for a second. It’s time for you to raise your voice of authority and declare to these attitudes that they will no longer dominate you. And if you must, speak to these attitudes and command them to go again and again and again and again and again — until they are finally uprooted and removed forever!

You have to go for the roots! If you want to be free, it’s going to take an attitude that says, “I’m going to get to the roots of this beast and yank them clear out of my soul, and I’m not going to stop until I’m totally free!”


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I intend to exercise my God-given authority and to raise my voice to tell these attitudes that they will no longer hound and dominate me! Bitterness, I command you to leave me in Jesus’ name! Unforgiveness, I refuse to be bound by you any longer, and I tell you to leave me right now! Offense, I will not be held hostage by you any longer, and I am telling you to flee from me in the name of Jesus! The Lord has redeemed me, and I refuse to allow you to operate in me any longer. I command you to go RIGHT NOW in Jesus’ powerful name!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I will not tolerate attitudes of bitterness and unforgiveness in my life anymore. I’m not going to just think about how bad these attitudes are and how I need to change. I’m going to lift my voice and speak to them like enemies of my soul that have come to destroy my life and ruin my relationships. I simply will not allow myself to be subjected to these hounding thoughts any longer. I proclaim that I am free of the memories of those who did wrong to me. I forgive them. I choose to let it all go. I am walking completely free from these attitudes and will not be controlled by them from this day forward!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Don’t you agree that it’s time for you to stop only thinking about changing and to start doing something about it? Don’t you agree that you need to lift your voice and use your God-given authority to command bitterness and unforgiveness to release your mind and emotions?
2. How would you react if you knew a bandit was coming to ravage your house? Would you throw open the door, let him in, and watch him freely move about your house? Or would you summon all the power available to you to get rid of him?
3. Isn’t it time that you start using your own authority to speak to the spiritual bandits that have been robbing you in so many areas of your life?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

You Have Jesus As Your Personal Intercessor!
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
— Hebrews 4:14


According to this verse, Jesus is your High Priest, and He lives forever to make intercession on your behalf (Hebrews 7:25). This means there is never a moment when Jesus Himself is not interceding for your victory and success. The devil may try to tell you that you’re standing all alone in your walk of faith; he may tempt you to believe that no one is aware of the difficulties you are facing as you pursue God’s call on your life. But that isn’t true. Jesus is aware of everything you face, and He’s making intercession for you right now.

No one wants you to succeed more than Jesus Himself. He knows the challenges you will face as you pursue what He has put in your heart. He knows the devil will try to abort your dream. He knows you will face moments when you are physically tired and mentally exhausted. Jesus understands every single emotion and temptation you will ever face. Remember, He also faced temptation during His own walk of faith.

Hebrews 4:15,16 says, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

This verse says that we are to come “...boldly unto the throne of grace....” The word “boldly” vividly portrays how much God wants you to come to Him, for it is the Greek word parresia, which gives the idea of boldness, frankness, forthrightness, and outspokenness. This clearly means God wants you to be very direct about telling Him when you need help! You never have to be timid or fearful about telling the Lord exactly what you are facing and what you need, because He encourages you to speak up and be bold!

When you come to this wonderful throne of grace, this verse promises that you will “...find grace to help in time of need.” The word “time” is the Greek word eukairos, and it describes a well-timed moment, the right time, a convenient time, a suitable time, or an appropriate time. You see, there is no better time for you to approach the Lord boldly than when you have a need. That is an appropriate time for you to be bold with Him and to really express your heart.

As our High Priest, Jesus understands everything you and I will ever face. He can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. As a father has pity on his children, so the Lord has pity on us (Psalm 103:13). He knows our frame and that we are made of dust (Psalm 103:14). Because Jesus is aware of our infirmities and limitations, He has assumed the role of our Intercessor. As our personal Advocate, Counselor, and Attorney, Jesus pleads our case before the Father and lays claim to our lawful rights.

You need never wonder if you are alone in your journey of faith. Jesus is right there with you, praying and interceding for you, for your calling, and for every need you are facing right now.


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I am so thankful that You beckon me to come boldly to Your throne of grace. It is so reassuring to know that You want me to not only come to You, but to speak up and boldly make my needs known. According to Your Word, there is no better time for me to be bold than when I am facing a need, so today I am going to be very bold and tell You what is on my heart and what I need. I thank You that Jesus is my High Priest and that He understands me and everything that affects my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that no one wants me to succeed more than Jesus Himself. He knows the challenges I face as I pursue what He has put in my heart. He knows I will face moments when I am physically tired and mentally exhausted. Jesus understands every single emotion and temptation I will ever face, and He is always right there to provide grace to help me in my time of need. God wants me to be very direct about telling Him when I need help, so today I come boldly before His throne to tell Him about the needs I am facing in my life. I never have to be timid or fearful about telling the Lord exactly what I need because He encourages me to speak up and be bold!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What is the single greatest need you are facing in your life?
2. Have you been bold to tell the Lord about your needs and what You need for Him to do on your behalf?
3. What is stopping you from going to the throne of grace right now? Don’t you think it would be a good idea for you to take a little time to go before God’s throne today and ask Him for an extra measure of grace to help in time of need?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Don’t Pay Evil Back for Evil!
Recompense to no man evil for evil....
— Romans 12:17


Today’s Sparkling Gem will be short, but pay close attention, because it’s a very important one!
Most all of us have thought at one time or another, Oh, how I want to get back at that person for what he did to me! If you have had that thought in the past, or if you’ve been thinking such thoughts recently, then what we’re going to talk about today should be very helpful to you!

In Romans 12:17, the apostle Paul told us, “Recompense to no man evil for evil....” The word “recompense” in this verse is the Greek word apodidomi, and it literally means to give back or to pay back. It carries the idea of returning something to someone. It is a compound of the words apo, which means back, as to return back, and the word didomi, which means to give. When compounded together, the new word gives the impression of someone who wishes to retaliate, to get even, or to take revenge. This person wants to pay someone back for what the other person did by doing the same thing to him; in other words, he wants to get even with the one who wronged him. In the Greek text, there is a negative in the verse, which means this action is strongly prohibited. Paul is ordering us not to do this!

Romans 12:17 goes on to say, “Recompense to no man evil for evil....” The word “evil” is the Greek word kakos. It describes an action that is harmful, hurtful, or injurious or something done with an evil intent. These are the actions of a person who intentionally acts to cause some kind of damage or ruin in someone else’s life. But the Greek literally says kakon anti kakou, which means evil for evil. It is the idea of a person who thinks, You did wrong to me, so now I’m going to do wrong to you. I’m going to do to you exactly what you did to me. This is what the phrase “evil for evil” means in this verse.

A fuller interpretation of Romans 12:17 could read:
“Don’t get even with people by retaliating and taking revenge. You should never get into the business of intentionally trying to hurt someone just because they hurt you.”

The flesh loves to retaliate against those who have wronged us, but this is not the way Jesus teaches us to behave. Instead of retaliating, we must seek to walk in peace and to have pure hearts before God. It is impossible for us to be pure before God while we are at the same time devising mischief for those who have wronged us. We have to stay out of the mischief business and leave our offenders in the hands of God.

During the holiday season, people frequently get their feelings hurt, misunderstand each other, or simply get their wires crossed because there are so many people to deal with and so much to do. Stress is definitely a factor during this season, often adversely affecting relationships and changing the way people perceive situations.

So if you get upset about something that happens, don’t give in to your emotions and end up in a fight. Rather than letting yourself get all stirred up or allowing yourself to imagine how you can get even with the person who has wronged you, get alone with the Lord and let Him fill your heart with peace. Once His peace is ruling in your heart, you’ll see the situation from an entirely different perspective. Even if someone really did wrong you, God’s peace will enable you to have a positive attitude toward that person. Meanwhile, you’ll be able to walk on in peace with a pure heart before God, free from all bitterness, anger, and strife!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I thank You for encouraging me to keep my heart free of strife during this extremely busy time of the year. There is so much to do, so many places I have to be, and so many people I need to see. I admit that the demands of this time of year put a lot of stress and strain on me. In the middle of all these activities, I don’t want the devil to get the best of me, so I am asking You to fill me with Your peace. Let that divine peace rule me and my emotions so I don’t let Satan get the upper hand in any of my relationships during this special time of year.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am free of strain and stress. My heart is filled with the peace of God, and that wonderful peace is ruling my heart, my mind, and my emotions. I am not quickly angered or offended. I walk in patience and kindness, and I am quick to forgive and to overlook the inappropriate actions of other people. Because God’s peace is ruling in my heart, I will remain calm, peaceful, and undisturbed by anything that happens around me during this very busy holiday season.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. By knowing what has happened in the past, are you now able to recognize the people or the circumstances that the devil uses to trigger your emotions and get you upset?
2. If your answer is yes, has the Holy Spirit shown you how to circumvent those moments so the devil can no longer ruffle your feathers and cause you to lose your peace? If your answer is no, have you asked the Holy Spirit to teach you to recognize those moments so they won’t be repeated in your life?
3. When you are tempted to be upset, what helps you the most to be filled with the peace of God? Is it reading the Word for a few minutes, praying, or listening to praise and worship music?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

What Is Your Attitude Toward People You Consider To Be Lower Than Yourself?
...Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate....
— Romans 12:16


I’ll never forget the time Denise and I were sitting in a restaurant with a well-known businessman, and this man embarrassed us so badly that we decided we would never go to dinner with him again. My wife and I had been regularly visiting this particular restaurant because we had met a waitress there whom the Lord had really put on our hearts. We didn’t frequent that restaurant because we liked the food; we went there because we wanted to see this young lady come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

This businessman had contacted us and asked to visit with us. So we decided to take him to dinner at this restaurant where we had been sharing the message of Jesus with this waitress and with many of the other people who worked there.

All prospects for a nice dinner with our guest were soon shattered, however, because the man began to speak to the waiters and waitresses as if they were dogs! He kept brusquely ordering them to do this and that for him; meanwhile, the waitress — our friend whom we were trying to win to Jesus — looked over at us in shock! No one in that restaurant had ever received such horrible treatment from Denise or me.

As the evening wore on, the situation grew even worse. Our guest began to verbally abuse the waiters and waitresses. He told me, “I hope you don’t mind how I talk to the servers, but they are here to serve me, and I intend to be served well.”

With that, the man again started to rudely bark out more orders to the restaurant staff. Then he starting poking fun at their culture and laughing at them for being Russians. He flashed his Rolex watch and bragged to the servers about his luxury automobile and his massive residence back home. He did everything but say, “I’m better, smarter, and richer than any of you — and I don’t want you to ever forget it.”

Then this businessman asked the servers if they went to church anywhere. How I wished he had kept the Lord out of the conversation, because he was being such a poor example of Jesus Christ!

As dinner was served by fretful restaurant workers, Denise and I tried to turn the conversation to spiritual things. We endeavored to tell our guest about what God was doing in our lives and in our ministry, but it was obvious that he only wanted to talk about things that he thought would impress us. In reality, however, this man was consumed with himself, and we were completely unimpressed with him. He was rude and crude and a very poor example of a Christian businessman.

I excused myself to go to the restroom, but my real purpose in leaving the table was to get an opportunity to go directly to the kitchen and personally apologize for the offensive treatment the entire staff was enduring that night. I pushed open the double doors and walked into the kitchen as if I were a part of the staff; then I asked all the waiters and waitresses to come hear what I had to tell them.

Once they were gathered around me, I apologized profusely for what was happening at our table. They looked at me despondently and said, “Wow, that man is horrible. We are so thankful that you came back here to talk to us. We know that you and your wife are not like that man.”

It simply breaks my heart when I see Christians like this businessman who think too highly of themselves. People like this “speak down” to others they perceive to be lower than they are. This prideful attitude should never be a part of a committed Christian’s behavior. The apostle Paul told us, “...Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate....”

The word “mind” is from the Greek word phroneo. It means to think, to consider, or to ponder. It carries the idea of intense reflection. Furthermore, the Greek uses a negative, which makes this verse a strong prohibition. This means it could be better translated, “...Stop fixating on high things....” Paul is commanding us not to preoccupy ourselves with or be consumed by “high things.” The words “high things” are from the Greek words ta hupsela. In this verse, they refer to the opinions and behavior patterns that accompany a person who has an attitude of superiority.

The apostle Paul tells us that instead of having this shameful attitude of superiority, we need to learn how to “...condescend to men of low estate....” The word “condescend” is the Greek word sunapago. This is a strange word to be used in this verse, for it is a compound of the words sun — which means together with; the word apo — which means away; and the word ago — which means to be led. A number of scholars say this word conveys the message that those who think too highly of themselves need to move away from (apo) such exalted thinking of themselves and be led (ago) to join or to associate with (sun) men of low estate. I believe that this is exactly what Paul had in mind when he chose to use the word sunapago.

But what does the Bible mean when it speaks of men of “low estate”? The Greek word for “low estate” is actually the word tapeinos, which is the Greek word that means to be humble, modest, simple, and unpretentious. In other words, the word tapeinos describes common, ordinary, everyday, normal people. It does not mean poor.

There are many proud and arrogant poor people, just as there are many humble wealthy people. The word tapeinos (“low estate” or “humble”) doesn’t refer to a person’s financial status; rather, it refers to his attitude toward life, toward himself, and toward others. Regardless of his station in life, he has never allowed himself to think of himself as better than others.

Although there are several possible interpretations of this verse, this is the one I like the most:
“...Stop fixating on things that make you think too highly of yourself and that contribute to an attitude of superiority. You need to leave that snooty thinking behind and come back down to earth so you can learn how to associate with common, ordinary, everyday, normal people....”

I don’t know if you have ever struggled with an attitude of superiority, but if you have, isn’t it time for you to leave behind that way of thinking once and for all? You are not any better than other people. You came into the world the same way everyone else did, and you will leave exactly as everyone else leaves. You were purchased and washed with the same blood of Jesus that is available to every other soul on planet earth.

Even if you have more education, more money, and a higher status in society than most people, that doesn’t make you better. In fact, these privileges make you more responsible, for God expects you to come down to a level where you can use your gifts, talents, and money to be a greater blessing to people!

Especially during this holiday season of the year when so many people are struggling to make ends meet, why don’t you think of ways that you can minister to people in your life whom you normally wouldn’t reach out to? Think of what a difference you can make in someone else’s life by simply reaching out to bless him or her in some special way. Don’t let yourself get away with thinking you’re too busy or too high and mighty to do this, because you’re not. Don’t forget — someone once did this for you; now it is your time to do it for someone else.


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, thank You for speaking to me today. Forgive me for the times I’ve acted like I was better than other people. I am sorry for that behavior, and I don’t ever want to do it again. I ask You to convict me when I start to act this way and to show me how to quickly change my behavior. I really want to be an example that will make people want to know Jesus, so help me to change any part of my behavior that does not give a proper impression of Your holy character.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I do not have a superior attitude about myself. I have the mind of Christ, and I demonstrate an attitude of love and acceptance to everyone I meet. When people walk away from me, they feel like they have been accepted, embraced, and treated with respect. Every day the Holy Spirit is teaching me more about how to give others a sense of value about themselves. I thank God that an attitude of superiority has no place in me and that each day I am getting better at reaching out to others to benefit and bless their lives.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever encountered a person like the one I described at the beginning of today’s Sparkling Gem? How did that person’s attitude of superiority affect you and others?
2. Have you ever been guilty of having such an attitude? Do you have this attitude in any area of your life right now? If the answer is yes, in what area of your life do you think of yourself as being better than other people?
3. Now that you know this attitude is not acceptable with the Lord, what are you going to do to change your attitude and actions? What steps can you take to start changing the way you relate to people whom you have previously treated as being “less” than you?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Learning To Rejoice And Learning To Weep
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
— Romans 12:15


It’s such a big letdown when you experience something that gets you all excited, but you can’t find anyone who will rejoice with you. Not so long ago, this happened to me.

After waiting a long time for a particular victory, it finally happened! I could hardly wait to tell it, so I summoned together the group I was with at the time to share this mighty victory. However, when I told these people the good news, they just stared back at me with expressionless faces, as if they hadn’t heard a word I had said. When the meeting was dismissed, they left, barely acknowledging the great report I had told them. I was very disappointed because I wanted someone to rejoice with me!

Later that day as I thought about the group’s lack of response to my exciting news, it made me wonder how many times I had done the same thing to people who shared their exciting news with me. As I pondered the expressionless faces I had seen earlier, I realized that the other members of that group may have been loaded down with their own cares or anxieties. Perhaps their own thoughts weighed so heavily on their minds that they weren’t able to really grasp what I had told them.

We should never respond to someone’s good report with a lack of enthusiasm. Regardless of what we’re going through in our own lives, we need to get our focus off ourselves and learn to “rejoice with them that do rejoice....” (Romans 12:15). In this verse, the apostle Paul tells us about the importance of appropriate emotional responses. For instance, when a person rejoices about something wonderful that has happened in his life, then regardless of what we are personally feeling, it is appropriate for us to rejoice with him.

The word “rejoice” is from the Greek word chairo, and it means to be glad, to be full of joy, or to be elated. Furthermore, the word “rejoice” is a command, not a suggestion, which means Paul is ordering us to “rejoice with them that do rejoice....” The word “with” is the word meta. In this particular case, it means to rejoice along with those who are rejoicing and carries the idea of joining on the same level of rejoicing as “them that do rejoice.”

The phrase “them that do rejoice” would be better translated as “the rejoicing ones.” The Holy Spirit is instructing us that when people are thrilled and bubbling over with joy about something that has happened in their lives, we need to join right in with them and rejoice! If they are shouting, we need to shout with them. If they are laughing for joy, we need to laugh with them.

Therefore, this portion of Romans 12:15 presents this idea:
“When people are rejoicing, that’s a time for you to join in the celebration and rejoice along with those who are rejoicing....”

You might say, “But it’s hard for me to rejoice when I don’t feel like rejoicing.” Well, you just need to get over it and put your flesh out of the way for a few minutes! Let the other person enjoy his exciting news. Think how selfish it would be for you to throw cold water on his joy simply because you don’t “feel like” rejoicing at the moment. What if you were in that person’s shoes and someone responded to you with such a noticeable lack of enthusiasm? It would disappoint you, wouldn’t it?

So rather than disappoint the person who is so excited, push your own emotional struggles out of the way for a few minutes and join in with those who are rejoicing! Besides, when you start to rejoice with a fellow believer, your deliberate rejoicing may be the very thing that sets you free from the emotional quandary that is trying to hold you down!

Paul goes on to tell us that we need to learn to “...weep with them that weep.” The word “weep” is translated from the Greek word klaio, and it means to weep, to wail, to sob, or to shed tears. A very good example of this word is found in Mark 5:38 when Jesus went to Jairus’ house and found “them that wept” because Jairus’ daughter had died. This perfectly presents the idea of weeping and sobbing that is portrayed by the word klaio.

Just as it is appropriate for us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing, it is equally appropriate for us to weep with those who weep. We will all face times when people in our lives weep because of something that has happened or because of an event that has broken their hearts. When that happens, then no matter what we are personally feeling, it is fitting that we show softhearted tenderness toward those individuals, doing all that we can to comfort them.

Brokenhearted people usually need someone’s arms wrapped about them. They also need to feel like they’re not all alone. And sometimes they need a shoulder to cry on — not because that will make everything better, but simply because they need a tender touch in that moment of crisis. This is why Paul says we need to “...weep with them that weep.”

Learning to respond with appropriate emotions is very important. A sullen frown during a time of rejoicing is not appropriate. A laughing and light-hearted spirit is often not appropriate in a room that is filled with brokenness and grief. As believers, we need to be sensitive to the needs of those around us, allowing the Holy Spirit to show us how to respond to the emotional climate in which we find ourselves. If we respond properly, we can be a blessing. But if we respond inappropriately, we can hurt people’s feelings and either dampen their joy or deepen their sorrow.

Let the Holy Spirit be your Teacher and show you how to emotionally respond to the various situations of life. He knows exactly what response is needed and will make you a master of appropriate responses in every situation of life.


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I ask You to help me know how to respond appropriately to those who are around me. When they rejoice, help me put aside my own struggles and problems and enter into rejoicing with them. When people weep and I’m not feeling the pain they feel, help me set aside my own light-hearted mood so I can be the kind of friend they need in that vulnerable moment. Holy Spirit, I know You can teach me how to appropriately respond to the different situations I face in life. So I ask You to start teaching me how to be what I need to be in every type of circumstance.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am sensitive to the emotional climate around me. When people are rejoicing, I join in and rejoice with them. When people are weeping and feeling brokenhearted, I am careful to show love and compassion to them. Because the Holy Spirit is teaching me how to appropriately respond to the various situations that arise in life, I am becoming more fit to minister to people in any given circumstance.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you ever shared a great victory with a person or group of people who did not rejoice along with you? Was their lack of response a great letdown to you?
2. Have you ever seen someone respond inappropriately to a moment of crisis? When people were brokenhearted and weeping, did that person laugh and make jokes at a very serious moment? How did his or her insensitivity to the moment affect the other people in the room?
3. Are there people in your life right now who need you to rejoice with them or weep with them?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Blessing People Who Deliberately Try To Make Trouble for You
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
— Romans 12:14


It is very easy to bless those who bless you and make you happy, but how are you going to respond to people who persecute you and try to deliberately injure you? Romans 12:14 says that you are to “bless them which persecute you....”

One day many years ago, my associate brought me the national newspaper of the country where we lived, and to my horror, there was a terrible article about me right on the front page! No one could miss the article because it was so huge — and it was filled with outrageous lies. The article contained nothing more than pure nonsense. However, I soon became very upset thinking about what people would think of me after reading that article. I knew that people tend to believe whatever is printed in the newspaper. The longer I thought about it, the more upset I became. I especially became infuriated with the female reporter who had written this barrage of nonsense and lies.

I wondered how I should respond. Should I put an advertisement in the newspaper to answer the allegations made about me and my ministry? Should I demand that the newspaper fire the woman who wrote this about us? What action should I take in response to this ugly development?

Adding to my shock regarding the article was the fact that the woman who wrote it had sat in my office and told me how blessed she was by our ministry. Only after reading what she wrote did I learn that she had completely lied to me. Nevertheless, rather than give in to my flesh and start ranting and raving about what she had done, I decided to obey the apostle Paul’s instructions in Romans 12:13, where he says, “Bless them which persecute you....”

The word “bless” is the Greek word eulogeo, a compound of the words eu and logos. The word eu means good or well and depicts any positive emotion. It is where we get the word euphoric. The second part of the word eulogeo is the word logos, which simply means words. But when these two words are compounded into the word eulogeo, it means to say good or positive things. The word eulogeo is where we get the word eulogy, which is the sermon preached at a funeral. It is supposed to be a time when good words are spoken in remembrance of the person who died.

So when Paul tells us to “bless them which persecute you...,” he is literally telling us that we are always to return a blessing for a curse, speaking only good words about those who wish to harm us. Taking this route must be hard on the flesh, for the Greek tense describes a continual action, implying that we must speak well of these people again and again and again. Our flesh may rise up to point the finger of accusation at someone and charge him with dishonest and wrong conduct. But that’s when we have to tell our flesh to be quiet! Instead of falling into the mode of accuser in an attempt to defend ourselves, we are to take the more godly route of blessing those who persecute us.

Paul says that when we are in these situations, we are to “curse not.” The word “curse” is the Greek word kataraomai, which simply means to verbally curse. In the ancient world, it was believed that when a person spoke good words about someone else, those words conveyed a blessing on that other person’s life. Conversely, people believed that when someone spoke curses over another person, his very words caused curses to come upon that person’s life.

This ancient belief in the power of words is actually borne out in the Scriptures. We should never forget the power that is contained in the words we speak. Proverbs 18:21 makes it very clear that the power of life and death is in the tongue.

So rather than get upset with the unbeliever who wrote that ugly article, I felt instructed of the Lord to start speaking blessings into her life. I realized that this journalist wrote that kind of article because she was lost and needed the Lord. So what good would it do if I allowed myself to speak curses over her life? It was time for me to rise to the occasion by deciding to “...bless, and curse not”!

So I started blessing this woman, thanking God for her and believing God to do something truly remarkable to make her life better and more blessed. As it turned out, that horrible article would be the last article of its kind about us to ever appear in that national newspaper. I am convinced that our decision to “...bless, and curse not” caused God’s power to be released in the spirit realm, preventing any future negative press from being printed about us in that particular nation.

If someone has done something bad or injurious to you, I realize how tempting it is to retaliate by saying a lot of bad things about the offender. But in the end, this fleshly reaction won’t help anyone. You never have to fall into this trap that causes you to be bitter and that releases a lot of negative words and curses on those who wronged you. You can take a redemptive approach — choose to speak only good about those who have sought to do you harm.

If you’ll take the right approach to this hurtful situation, your actions can release enough supernatural power to keep this type of event from ever being replicated in the future. But if you respond wrongly, it probably won’t be too long until you’re facing the same situation again.

Never underestimate the importance of how you react to those who persecute you. Your words of blessing and forgiveness can put to bed forever all the past wrongs ever committed against you. On the other hand, your words of retaliation can reignite the fire of opposition so that the same kind of opposition keeps reoccurring again and again.

That’s why it’s so important that you never forget — you must continually be careful with your words!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I want to forgive those who have done so much wrong by speaking lies and nonsense about me. I don’t understand why they have spoken those lies, but now people are listening to the garbage they have told about me. Rather than respond in anger and speak a bunch of negative words that won’t help anyone, I choose today to speak words of kindness and blessing over those who have tried to hurt me. Lord, I ask You to bless them, change them, help them, and lead them into a higher way of life. In the meantime, I am asking You to use this hurtful situation to bring about needed changes in me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I don’t speak evil words about anyone — not even against those who seek to hurt me and to do harm to my life. My words are powerful, so I select the words I speak very carefully. I choose to bless and to curse not, and I declare that because I have taken this course of action, the strategies that the enemy is trying to use against me will be frustrated and stopped.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you recall a time when you were being verbally persecuted by someone who wanted to do you harm, but the Holy Spirit led you to refrain from speaking evil of that person and to speak only good about him or her?
2. If you do recall such an event in your life, what was the result when you obeyed the Spirit of God and stayed upbeat and positive about your accuser?
3. Can you think of a time when you said a lot of evil words about someone and those words eventually came to pass? Did you later regret that you had said those words?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Learning To Be Hospitable
...Given to hospitality.
— Romans 12:13


During the time when the New Testament was being written, it is simply a fact that many Christians and church leaders were very mobile. First, many became mobile because they had been evicted from their homes and had lost their property due to persecution. Second, the early believers were mobile because they were moving like a spreading flame throughout the entire Roman world, carrying the Gospel to those who sat in darkness.

Because the Early Church was constantly on the move, it became necessary for believers to adopt an “open-home” mentality. In other words, they had to be willing to take in displaced Christians or missionaries who were passing through on their way to take the Gospel to a new region. This open-home mentality was so important that Paul included it in his list of requirements for church leaders. Paul wrote to Timothy that if a person wanted to be a leader, he had to be “...given to hospitality...” (1 Timothy 3:2).

In both Romans 12:13 and in First Timothy 3:2, Paul uses this phrase “given to hospitality.” The word “hospitality” in both references is the Greek word philoxenia. This word is a compound of the words philos, which means to love like a friend, and the word xenos, the Greek word for a stranger or foreigner. There is no doubt that the word xenos doesn’t refer to an acquaintance or associate; rather, it refers to one who is a complete stranger or a foreigner.

Therefore, when Paul tells the Early Church (and us) to be hospitable, he isn’t telling us to be kind, friendly, or open-hearted with a known associate or a friend who is in need. He is telling us that we must show compassion and kindness to those we don’t know at all. It is easy to open our homes and show kindness to someone we know, but it is a different thing altogether to be hospitable to those we don’t know!

This would have been an especially important message to believers who lived in large metropolitan cities like Rome or Ephesus. Due to the size of their cities, people (including believers) were constantly arriving with a common need — finding a place to reside during their brief stay.

Modern-day Moscow fits this description quite well, and Denise and I do our best to be “given to hospitality.” This city is like a magnet for all of Russia. Just as was true in the ancient cities of Rome and Ephesus, believers are constantly coming to Moscow for business and ministry. Often they need our help to find a place to stay. They need us to be hospitable and to help meet their needs, even if we don’t know them.

For an early believer to be hospitable, he literally had to open his home to receive those Christians who had been displaced or who were traveling through the area. In that day, there were no hotels like there are in today’s world, so opening one’s home was the only way to show oneself hospitable.

In today’s world, you could still take a traveler into your home. But it is also possible to show yourself hospitable by renting a hotel room to help out a traveler for several nights. You and the Lord must determine how you show hospitality; the important thing is that you are hospitable.
The real idea of the word philoxenia (“hospitable”) is to be friendly or helpful to those who are strangers to you and to those who are in need. This word depicts that moment when you go outside your normal circle of friends and relationships to do something extra special for someone whom you do not know.

Romans 12:13 categorically states that we should be “given” to hospitality. The word “given” is from the Greek word dioko, which means to aggressively pursue something; to ardently follow after something; or to hotly pursue something until you finally catch it. In fact, the word dioko is so aggressive that it is usually translated in the New Testament as the word persecution.

It is significant that Paul used the word dioko in connection with becoming hospitable, because it tells us that we must aggressively set our hearts on attaining this goal. We must make the decision that we are going to develop this trait in our lives. Then we must put our whole hearts into learning how to be welcoming and helpful to believers in need — until finally we catch on to God’s idea of hospitality and become genuinely hospitable people.

Romans 12:13 could be taken to mean:
“Hotly pursue and never stop pursuing the goal of becoming hospitable until you have caught on to the idea of hospitality and have genuinely become a hospitable person.”

How long has it been since you opened the doors of your home to someone you didn’t know? Do you mainly minister to people you know and enjoy, or do you have a heart to help those you don’t know but who have legitimate needs in their lives? If you can’t open the doors of your home to them, what else can you do to show them a hospitable heart?

Is this kind of hospitality a token service that you perform out of duty? Or have you been doing everything in your power to become a genuinely hospitable person in the way that you live and treat others? Even more importantly — what are you going to do today to start showing kindness to fellow believers in need?


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I ask You to please forgive me for only seeing the needs of my own social circle. The fact is, there are so many people who are in serious need, and I could be doing something to help at least one of them. I am asking You to help me take my eyes off myself and my little circle of friends and to start seeing the needs that are all around me. I don’t want to be guilty of helping only those who bring a blessing to my life. I want to be a blessing even to those I don’t know and who will never be able to return the favor to me themselves.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am a blessing to fellow believers who are in need. My heart is open; my home is open; my pocketbook is open; and I am willing and ready for the Lord to use me to help others. I thank God that He can use me to make an impact in other people’s lives. I believe that He will bless me for stepping out of my limited little social circle to do a good deed for a fellow believer who really needs a helping hand. And I declare that I won’t casually carry out an occasional act of mercy. Instead, I will aggressively pursue the attitude of hospitality until I catch it and become a genuinely hospitable person.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Was there a time in your past when someone took you in and showed you real hospitality? If so, what was that event, and what impact did that person make on your life?
2. Have you had an opportunity to be hospitable that you turned down because you didn’t know the person or were afraid to open your home to a stranger?
3. How would you feel if you needed a place to stay and you couldn’t find a single Christian who would open his or her home to you? On the other hand, how would it make you feel if you were a displaced Christian in need, and someone showed love and compassion to you?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Meeting the Needs of Other Believers
Distributing to the necessity of saints.... — Romans 12:13


One of the most exciting things our ministry does is meet the needs of pastors who are leading congregations in the former Soviet Union. We feel a deep commitment to help these pastors because they haven’t had the same opportunity for education that exists in Western countries. As a result of the revival that has swept across the former USSR since the collapse of communism, scores of pastors have found themselves leading congregations before they could receive any training to equip them for the job. These pastors are doing all they know to do in their leadership positions, but they are often ill-prepared for the task due to lack of teaching, training, and education.

Because of the work of our Pastors' Association, pastors and leaders who formerly felt isolated and alone have now become spiritually “linked” to other pastors. Close friendships have formed as these pastors look to each other for support, fellowship, and spiritual encouragement. But in addition to providing this spiritual fellowship, our ministry has also become a channel through which designated offerings are routed to support many of these pastors whose income is not sufficient to support them full-time in the ministry.

You see, so many of these pastors live in villages that were economically devastated by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Because of this dire financial crisis, churches do not yet have the finances to support their pastor full-time, even though they desperately need a full-time pastor. Today many of these pastors are able to serve full-time because of the financial gifts that we channel to them each month. Because of the gifts of our ministry partners, we have been able to distribute funds to meet the needs of these saints.

It is very easy for us as believers to get so caught up in our own projects and plans that we forget about the needy people in the world who need our help. This is precisely why Paul encouraged us to be constantly “distributing to the necessity of saints...” (Romans 12:13). Especially at this time of the year when people are in a spirit of giving, I think it is important to look for ways to bless people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Every day we should pray and ask the Lord how He wants to use us to make a difference in someone else’s life.

The word “distributing” is the Greek word koinoneo, which means to share or to give some kind of contribution. In the context of Romans 12:13, it means to give a financial contribution. However, the Greek tense suggests that this is not an occasional act but rather a regular, consistent, habitual contributing of finances for the “necessity of saints.” That word “necessity” is the Greek word chreia, and it simply means a need. In other words, Paul is talking here about giving to meet the basic needs of the saints.

It is true that there are many humanitarian organizations to which we can give our money, but the apostle Paul loudly tells us that we are to first give to meet the needs of the “saints.” Certainly it is right to meet the needs of fellow believers first; after all, they are our brothers and sisters. First John 3:17 asks us, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” When we know there is a need, it is time for us to act. This is why the apostle John goes on to say, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Even if you have been struggling financially to make ends meet, I guarantee you that there are believers in other parts of the world — or perhaps even close to where you live — who are having a more difficult time than you are right now. Rather than be self-focused and feel sorry for yourself, why don’t you take advantage of this special time of the year to go out of your way to do something special for someone else? Send an extra offering to a ministry that you support. Give a gift to help the poor and needy. Assess the needs of the saints as you become aware of them; then let the Holy Spirit lead you in distributing your financial gifts. Discover the joy of helping to meet the needs of fellow brothers and sisters who truly need any help you can give them!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, especially at this time of the year, I want to look beyond my own challenges and problems to see what I can do to meet the needs of brothers and sisters whose situations are more serious than mine. I don’t want to be so self-focused on my own needs that I forget that there are others who are struggling more seriously than I am. In fact, even though I have been facing difficult times, I know that my life is much more blessed than some of my brothers and sisters who live in other parts of the world. Lord, please help me to always be grateful for what I have. Guide me as I seek to distribute a portion of my finances and make a difference in someone else’s life. And please, Lord, multiply this seed that I am sowing by faith so that it comes back to meet the needs I am facing in my own life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I boldly declare that I am a giver! I refuse to allow the devil to make me focus so intensely on my own problems that I forget about the needs others are facing. Instead of taking care of only my own needs, I declare that I am going to give a portion of my finances to meet the needs of other believers who are in a more serious condition than I am right now. To the best of my ability, I will give from my resources to make a difference in someone else’s life, especially during this holiday season. I also claim the promise of God that what I sow will be multiplied back to me again!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How long has it been since you gave a serious, significant gift during the holiday season to meet the needs of believers who are less fortunate in other parts of the world?
2. Do you know of believers living right in your own community who are struggling and could use an extra financial surprise to make their holidays more pleasant?
3. If you are facing a financial challenge yourself, why don’t you figure out the size of harvest you need to receive and then sow a seed to match that kind of harvest?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Be Not Slothful in Business
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.
— Romans 12:11


I’ll never forget the time when, as I met with a head of government in a foreign nation, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I just don’t understand many of the Christians I’ve met. To me, they seem to be some of the laziest people I’ve ever known in my life. I’m amazed that anyone would be satisfied to live with such low standards. Is this the way all Christians are?”

I was so embarrassed when I heard those words. I found myself wanting to apologize for the entire Christian community! But the truth is, I personally knew some of the Christians he was referring to — and I had thought the very same thing on many occasions! These people didn’t seem to have enough gumption to get up and do something with their lives. It wasn’t that they weren’t talented, gifted, and knowledgeable. They were just satisfied with the level they had attained and had no desire to show any professionalism with their lives.

Honestly, it’s a mystery to me how anyone can claim to be a Christian indwelt by the Spirit of God and yet be satisfied with such a low-level existence. Of course, I am very aware that many people weren’t raised with the same high standard of excellence that my parents taught me. Perhaps some Christians grew up in an environment where low-level thinking was viewed as normal, and that’s why they have accepted such a low standard for their own lives. However, other low-achievers can’t claim a mediocre upbringing as an excuse. They just don’t take advantage of opportunities to learn, adapt, and better themselves and therefore never experience needed change. This is usually a sign that these people have no inner desire to improve their lives.

You may send such individuals to school to educate them; you may even pay for them to fly halfway around the world to learn new and better techniques in their field of expertise. But if they don’t possess the inner drive to improve themselves and to become more professional, it doesn’t matter how much time or money you throw at them. It’s all a waste unless they possess the desire to be diligent.

Such low-level standards should never be tolerated by a believer, a pastor, an employer, or an employee. Yet too often believers make excuses for their slothful attitudes and allow them to continue. As a result, the world frequently looks at the Church as a pathetic entity made up of a bunch of nincompoops who aren’t serious about what they do or say.

I am certain that Paul’s experience with low-achievers in the Church is one of the reasons he wrote the believers in Rome and told them to be “not slothful in business....” The word “slothful” is the Greek word okneros, a word that means lazy or idle. It carries the idea of a person who has a do- nothing, lethargic, lackadaisical, apathetic, indifferent, lukewarm attitude toward life. I find it very interesting that this word translated “slothful” is the identical Greek word used in Matthew 25:26 when Jesus tells of the “wicked” servant who was thrown into outer darkness because he produced nothing significant with the resources that had been entrusted to him. In these contexts, both “slothful” and “wicked” denote an attitude of apathy that should have no place at all in the life of a Christian.

But Paul goes on to say that we are not to be slothful “in business.” The word “business” is the Greek word spoudadzo, and it means to do something with eagerness or to do something with diligence. It is the idea of acting responsibly, quickly, and with attentiveness. You could say that the word spoudadzo (“diligence”) is exactly the opposite of a person who lazily strolls along with no passion or desire. Instead of being lazy and apathetic, a diligent person is excited and energetic, putting his whole heart into the project that has been given to him. He treats his responsibility as if it is important, and as a result of his excellent attitude, he does his job well.

Paul also says that we should be “...fervent in spirit....” The word “fervent” is the Greek word zeo, which originally meant to boil. This is the picture of a person so enthusiastic about his task that he can hardly contain his excitement. The desire to do his job with excellence and enthusiasm is constantly boiling inside the person who is diligent about his assignment. In fact, the Greek tense used here would be better translated, “...Be constantly fervent in spirit....” The word “spirit” does not refer to the Holy Spirit, but to the attitude of this believer. It means, “...Be constantly fervent in your attitude....”

Then Paul takes it another step by saying that we are to be “...fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” It is very plain what Paul is declaring here: A right attitude is one of the most effective ways for a person to serve the Lord. You see, when a believer does his job right and with an awesome attitude, it is a testimony to the name of Jesus. But when a believer does his work shabbily, he projects a sorry image of who Jesus is. This is exactly what happened in the case of that foreign head of government who asked me if all Christians were as mediocre as the ones he had encountered.

Paul uses the Greek word douleuo when he writes about “serving” the Lord. This word comes from the Greek word doulos, which means a servant who does the bidding of his master. The word doulos described a servant who was sold out, lock, stock, and barrel — totally committed to serving and pleasing his master. As a good servant, he would do his best to discover his master’s desires and then explicitly do whatever was needed to fulfill those desires.

By using this word in this context, it is almost as if Paul is saying, “If you really want to please the Lord and be a servant that brings Him satisfaction, then do these things....” What things bring pleasure to the heart of Jesus? Let me repeat the qualities we’ve already discussed: having an attitude of excellence; doing your job with seriousness and responsibility; and being consistently fervent, committed, and enthusiastic in your attitude. When a believer steadfastly demonstrates these attributes in his life, he becomes a servant who truly brings satisfaction to the heart of Jesus Christ.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Your salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, and nothing you do can buy you a special standing with Him. Nevertheless, how you serve God and the testimony that your life demonstrates to the world is very important to Jesus Christ.

So I urge you to take an honest look at yourself today. Ask yourself, When people look at my life, do they come away with a positive idea of what a Christian is like, or does my example leave people unimpressed with Jesus Christ? Then ask the Lord to show you any changes you need to make so you can move on up to a higher level of excellence in God!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I am very convicted by what I have read today. I don’t want to allow any area of my life to be a bad testimony of who Jesus is. Therefore, I am asking You to open my eyes and show me those areas of my life that need to come up to a higher level. Please forgive me for being tolerant of low standards that are not compatible with the excellence of Jesus’ wonderful name. Starting today, I want to move up higher. Holy Spirit, please help me as I start taking steps toward making serious changes in my life, my attitudes, and my actions.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I will no longer be satisfied with living a low-level existence. God has something great planned for me, and I have made the decision to abandon the negligent attitudes that have dominated my life. Jesus has called me to be a servant that brings Him pleasure, so that is what I am going to do. I will not allow laziness or apathy to be a part of me any longer. I intend to start projecting continual enthusiasm and excitement about what Jesus has asked me to do!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Would you say that your life is a good testimony of who Jesus is, or does your example leave some people shaking their heads, wondering what is wrong with lazy, low-level Christians?

2. Perhaps you have a standard of excellence in some areas of your life but not in other areas. In your opinion, what areas of your life already portray excellence, and what areas do not?
3. Do you try to stay aware of how your attitudes, your dress, and your job performance are affecting people’s opinions of Jesus? Are you continually striving to make sure your life gives an honorable impression of Jesus Christ to others?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Be Affectionate to One Another
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.
— Romans 12:10


When my family and I first moved to the former Soviet Union, God connected us to some of the most wonderful people we’ve ever known. Although these people were from a completely different culture and background, they genuinely became a part of our family.

This was especially wonderful for our sons, who now lived so far from their own natural relatives. It was also wonderful for me, for I discovered a level of relationship I had never before known in the Christian community. Although no one could ever possibly replace our natural families, we were thankful to God for these brothers and sisters who truly became “family” to us on the other side of the world.

Unfortunately, in many parts of the Christian community, this level of relationship I am describing is sadly missing. It is unfortunate that people attend church week after week and hardly know the people they regularly sit next to in the church services. Life has become so busy with natural concerns that most believers suffer from a severe deficiency of relationships with their fellow believers. This was never God’s plan for the local church, for He designed it to be a place where people’s lives could be built together as living stones. His plan was and still is to have a people who demonstrate His covenant nature in their relationships with one another.

The apostle Paul talks about these types of covenant relationships in Romans 12:10 when he says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” When I read these words of Paul, I can’t help but think of the spiritual family and the genuine brothers in Christ whom I love so much in the former Soviet Union. We love them so profoundly that we have literally laid down our lives for them — and they likewise love us and have laid down their lives for us.

The phrases “be kindly affectioned” and “brotherly love” are key to understanding the level of relationship that God intends for us to have with our Christian brothers and sisters. The phrase “be kindly affectioned” is from the Greek word philostorgos, which expresses the idea of a love between friends that is authentic, sincere, tender, and warm. This word philostorgos is a compound of the words phileo and stergo. The word phileo is the Greek word for friendship, and the word stergo is the Greek word that depicts the tender love that should exist between the members of a family. But because the words phileo and stergo are joined to form the word philostorgos, it represents two or more friends who love each other just as deeply as if they were members of the same family.

If Paul had stopped here, it would have already been enough to let us know that the members of the local church should be like family to us. But to further confirm this truth, Paul tells us that we are to have “brotherly love” between ourselves. The words “brotherly love” are translated from the Greek word philadelphia, a compound of phileo, which, as noted above, means to love like a friend. The second part of the word is adelphos, the Greek word for a brother. When compounded together, it becomes the word philadelphia, which means to love dearly like a brother.

By using both of these phrases, Paul is telling us that our relationships in the Body of Christ should carry the authenticity of family. We should indeed love each other as if we were genuinely blood brothers and sisters. In fact, our love for one another should be so profound that we hold one another in honor. This is precisely what Paul says next when he tells us, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”

The words “in honour” in Greek express the idea of being appraised very highly or considered as very valuable or very precious. It gives the idea of an appreciation so great that you would prefer to see the person you love succeed even more than you want to see your own success. You truly desire the very best for this person because you love him so deeply.

When the King James Version uses the word “preferring,” it is the Greek word proegeomai, which means to esteem, to admire, to highly respect, to consider, and to value very highly. It represents the attitude of a person who values a friend so highly that he deeply desires the very best to come to pass for his friend — even if it means that his friend is blessed at his own expense. This means there is no room for jealousy or competition where this kind of love abounds.

A fuller interpretive translation of Romans 12:10 could read:
“Love each other with the same love you have for your family. In fact, you should love each other with the same love that is shared between two brothers. The value you place on each other should be so high that it makes you desire to see those you love excel and achieve much in life, even if it means that they excel and achieve more than you do.”

Do you have these kinds of relationships in the Christian community? I’m talking about precious relationships that you hold to be as dear to you as family. If so, you should count yourself very blessed, for the lives of many believers are vacant of such relationships. This is all the more reason to make sure you take the time to really express to these people whom you love as family just how deeply you love them!

God planned for the local church to be a place of covenant relationship. If you have such relationships, be careful to always treat them as a special gift from Heaven. And if your life lacks this blessing, ask the Holy Spirit to birth a God-given relationship that will bring a touch of Heaven into your life.


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I thank You for the incredible friendships You have placed in my life. I am immeasurably blessed to have such loving, faithful, and true relationships. When I think of all the people who live such lonely lives, it makes me want to stop and express my gratefulness to You for placing such precious people in my life. Lord, I also ask You to please help me see those who need to be loved so I can include them as a part of my life. I want to give to others the love and support that I have received. Holy Spirit, help me to start doing this today.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that God has given me a host of godly relationships. I am blessed with genuine friends who love me like family; who treat me like a brother (or sister); and who will walk in covenant with me for many years to come. This is God’s will for my life. I will not be isolated or live in a way that is disconnected from God’s family; rather, I will continually look for ways to grow closer and closer to His family. Also, just as God is blessing me with precious friends, I believe He is teaching me how to be a better friend to those who are near me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Are some of your relationships so precious that you hold them to be as dear to you as family?
2. If so, have you taken the time to really express to them how much you love them?
3. What can you do to improve your skills to become a better friend?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Abhor That Which Is Evil
...Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
— Romans 12:9


Today I want to talk to you about some of the detrimental things you have been tolerating in your personal life. First, let’s look at the illustration of television as an example of what you must do to keep evil out of your life.

Our family rarely watches television or movies, but when we do, we are very careful about what we allow to be broadcast into our home. Denise and I know it is part of our God-given responsibility as parents to keep evil from gaining access, for God designed the home to be a godly sanctuary for the family. Because we don’t want evil to affect our family, Denise and I carefully guard what is viewed on the television in our home. Some may say that our approach is narrow, but the apostle Paul clearly instructed all believers to “...abhor that which is evil...” (Romans 12:9).

The word “abhor” is the Greek word apostugeo, which is a compound of the words apo and stugeo. The word apo means away, and the word stugeo means to hate. It describes an intense dislike, an aversion, or a repugnance to something. When the words apo and stugeo are compounded together, the new word conveys the notion of a person who hates something so extremely that he literally backs away from it in disgust. Thus, the King James Version translates it as the word “abhor” to reflect the feelings of a person who is so repulsed by something that he shuns and avoids it at all costs.

This means God expects your tolerance level for sin and evil to be very low. In fact, you should have such a repugnance for evil that you actively and continually guard against it from ever invading your life or your family.

But when we speak of evil, exactly what do we mean? Since Paul is the one who told us to “...abhor that which is evil...,” let’s look at this word “evil” in the Greek text to see what he was talking about.

The word “evil” is the word poneros, and it conveys the notion of anything that is full of destruction, disaster, harm, or danger. It includes not only that which is dangerous to the physical body, but also that which is dangerous to the spirit or mind. So Paul is urgently telling us that we should have no tolerance at all for anything that would endanger our bodies or that would do any kind of damage to our minds or spirits.

As human beings, we are usually careful to take care of ourselves physically. However, Paul is telling us that we need to take care of our spirits and minds just as diligently as we watch over the natural care of our human bodies.

You see, if your spirit and mind are invaded by information or images that are evil, the entrance of those images into your mind and spirit can wreak havoc in your life for years to come. Your mind is like a movie screen — and what you allow into your mind lives in your imagination for a very long time.

So instead of watching, reading, or listening to a lot of evil garbage that will clog up your mind for years, why not take a safer and smarter route? In other words, don’t allow that garbage to enter your mind in the first place!

What are you to do instead? Paul says you need to “...cleave to that which is good.” The word “cleave” is the Greek word kollao, which is the old Greek word that means to glue or to cement something together. This word denotes a permanent connection. It is the picture of two things that have been glued or cemented together, so tightly joined and bonded that they are now permanently connected and cannot be separated.

Let me illustrate the strength of the word kollao. A form of this word is used in Ephesians 5:31, where Paul teaches that a man should leave his father and mother and “be joined” unto his wife. Just as it takes work for a man and wife to cleave to each other and to become one in mind and heart, it will take effort on your part to be joined unto that which is “good.” That word “good” is the Greek word agathos, the Greek word that describes anything that is good, beneficial, or profitable for you.

So when you take these Greek word meanings into consideration, Romans 12:9 could be interpreted to mean:
“You need to abhor and be disgusted with anything that would bring evil and harm to your physical, mental, or spiritual life. Instead of giving place to those destructive things, why don’t you put your whole self forward to become more joined with that which is good and profitable for you?”

As you’ve read this Sparkling Gem today, has God’s Spirit been speaking to you about the things you’ve been tolerating in your life for which you should have no tolerance? If the answer is yes, it’s time for you to get into the Presence of God and ask Him to forgive you for permitting wrong influences in your life or home. Then make a concrete, firm decision to remove those wrong influences, and deliberately turn your attention toward the things that will bring you closer to the Lord.

There are so many good things you could be watching, reading, and listening to. So make the quality decision to shun all that is evil as you cleave to that which is good!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I ask You to help me be sensitive to the influences I allow in my home and life. I realize that You have given me the responsibility to watch over my life and that I need to be careful about the information and images I allow to pass into my spirit and mind. Please help me recognize the influences that are acceptable and those that are not. When I am quickened in my spirit that what I am watching, reading, or hearing is unprofitable, give me the strength of will to turn it off, lay it down, or walk away from it.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I carefully guard what goes into my spirit and my mind because God has given me the responsibility to do so. Therefore, I will not permit any evil garbage into the domain of my life. By keeping my mind free of evil influences, I will protect my life and stop the devil from many of the attacks he would like to launch against me. I refuse to open the door and invite the enemy in by watching or listening to the wrong things. Instead, I will turn my attention to those influences that are good and profitable for me. I am going to put my whole heart and soul into meditating on that which will enrich my life and take me to a higher level.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What are you allowing in your thought life that you know is unhealthy for you? Has the Spirit of God been telling you to remove that evil influence before it affects your spiritual life and your mental health?
2. Are your children taking into their minds and spirits certain television programs or certain types of music and literature that are unhealthy for them? If yes, what are you going to do about it? Will you continue to tolerate and allow these evil influences until they eventually produce destructive fruit in the lives of your children? Or will you take the initiative to remove every evil influence in order to protect them?
3. What good things can you cleave to in order to bring a strong positive influence into the sanctuary of your home?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Are You Living Only for Today — Or Living Also for Eternity?
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?
— 2 Peter 3:11


One day I was standing at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt with my wife and sons. We had spent that entire week floating down the Nile River, touring all the sites of ancient Egypt, many of which were more than 4,000 years old. We were amazed at how well the condition of these ancient locations had been preserved. Finally we stood at the foot of the ancient, massive Great Pyramid of Giza. It, too, was in marvelous condition, considering that it had been standing there for so many thousands of years. It was very evident that the Great Pyramid had been built solidly so it would stand as an eternal remembrance to the Egyptian king who built it.

As I stood there with my family, I told my sons, “This pyramid has stood here for thousands of years, but a day is coming in the future when it will be completely dissolved. When the final Day of the Lord comes, the Bible tells us that everything that exists on the earth will melt with fervent heat, and the earth and all its works will be burned up. Boys, that means a day is coming when none of these monuments will exist any longer. Everything built by man will vanish, including these monuments that have stood the test of time for thousands of years. The only thing that will last is what people have done for Jesus Christ.”

The scripture I referred to as I talked to my sons was Second Peter 3:10. This verse says that when the Day of the Lord comes, “...the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

According to Peter, when the Day of the Lord comes at the very end of the age, everything we presently see and know will be changed. Even the heavens as we currently know them will pass away. The words “pass away” are from the Greek word parerchomai, which pictures something that is temporary and will soon be passing away. Peter says that the present heavens will pass away with a “great noise.” The words “great noise” are from the Greek word hroidzedon. This word describes a sound so loud that it is nearly deafening to those who hear it. It further carries the idea of a tremendous hissing, sizzling, cracking sound that rushes all about or a noise so thunderous that no one can escape it.

When these events transpire, the heavens and all “the elements” shall melt with a fervent heat. The word “elements” is the Greek word stoicheion, and it refers to everything that exists — from the heavenly bodies in the sky overhead to the mountains, the earth, the buildings constructed by man, and even the smallest atomic particles. Absolutely nothing will survive the transforming, purifying fire that will melt everything.

The word “melt” in this verse is from the Greek word luo, which normally means to loose. But in this case, it pictures the dissolving of matter and the complete dissolution of the earth’s elements.

This melting of the elements will occur because of a “fervent heat” that will be manifested on the Day of the Lord. The words “fervent heat” come from the Greek word kausoomai, which depicts a fire so intense that nothing escapes its blaze. It was used by medical writers to convey the idea of a fever that consumed a victim. This is an intense, raging, blazing, blistering, burning fire that consumes and hence purges everything it touches. Absolutely nothing will survive this fire when Jesus purifies this present world and creates a new heaven and a new earth.

I spoke these words to my sons because I wanted them to know that the only thing to survive this life will be what we do for Jesus Christ. We tend to think that our houses, buildings, and the things we construct in life will live forever. But the truth is, even the structures that are built to survive through the ages of time will eventually pass away. Since only that which is done for eternity will outlast this world, we can see why Peter asked the question, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11).

A day is coming when all the material possessions you own and hold to be dear will be “dissolved.” The word “dissolved” is from the Greek word luo, which is the same word mentioned above in Second Peter 3:10 to describe the complete dissolution of everything that presently exists. By using this word, Peter alerts us to the fact that nothing we presently own will last forever. In light of this truth, how should we view our material possessions, and how should we prioritize our lives?

Too often we devote the bulk of our time to our homes, gardens, cars, businesses, or other worldly affairs. Although we must give attention to the basic things that are necessary to life, we make a huge mistake if we focus on these temporal matters while neglecting the eternal spiritual issues that will pass from this life into the next. Only what is done for the Lord will last. Everything else will be left behind in a world that will one day be consumed with a fervent heat. Since everything will be dissolved, as Peter tells us, doesn’t it make sense that we invest in our spiritual futures as well as in our present lives?

How should this knowledge affect the way you live? Peter asked, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be...?” In other words, since the heavens and the earth and everything in them are temporary and will one day pass away, what should have your greatest attention and devotion?

Unsaved men in today’s world live for the present. Often they do great philanthropic works because they want their names to be remembered in future generations. Their desire is to have people revere them, place their names on buildings, name streets after them, and so forth.

However, every building that bears a person’s name will one day evaporate. The pyramids that have stood before us for centuries will one day be gone. Those who live only for the present or to impress men will be the greatest losers of all, for everything they have lived for will burn up and pass away, never to be remembered again. On the other hand, those who live for eternity, walk by faith, and obey what the Word of God tells them to do will make a name for themselves that will be remembered in Heaven for all of eternity. These are the biggest winners in life!

The message I conveyed to my sons that day in front of the pyramids is the same message I want to impress upon you today: Take the time to consider your priorities in life. Are you investing in eternity, or are you consumed with natural things that won’t survive that consuming fire, which will one day melt everything that exists? Since what you do for Jesus is the only thing that will survive, don’t you think it would be wise to prayerfully consider your life to see if you are investing as much in eternity as you are investing in the present?


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, please help me to live soberly and to invest not only in the present, but also in the eternity that is to come. I don’t want to be among those who lived only for the present and therefore suffered loss because they forgot to invest in Heaven. Teach me how to manage and increase the material possessions You have given me so that I can use them to increase my wealth in Heaven. I am grateful for the things I own, but I am more thankful for the souls who are in Heaven because I used my resources to invest in eternity. Help me to use my life wisely and to live as I ought to live in light of eternity.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am living for eternity. Although I thank God for all the possessions He has given me, I realize that all of these are temporary blessings. The greatest investment I can make is in my spiritual future, so in addition to managing the physical blessings God has given me, I am a wise investor in my eternal destiny. I spend the bulk of my time, my money, my talents, and my energies on things that will further God’s Kingdom and outlast this world!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. In light of what you have read today, what changes do you need to make in your schedule and priorities in order to invest in things that will outlast this life?
2. Do you spend more time focusing on temporal matters that don’t count for eternity, or do you spend a healthy amount of your time, money, talents, and energies on doing what God’s Word tells you to do?
3. If Jesus were to speak to you directly today, do you think He would tell you that you are living primarily for today, or that you are also investing wisely in your eternal future?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

The Annihilating Appearance Of Jesus Christ in Great Glory!
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
— 2 Thessalonians 2:8


When Jesus comes at the end of the age, He will come in great power and glory. In fact, when He comes, His glory will be so brilliant that it will totally annihilate the antichrist! This is why Paul told the Thessalonians, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

After time runs out for the antichrist to do his work on the earth, Jesus will come. And Paul declares that when the Lord comes, He will “consume” this evil leader “with the spirit of his mouth.” The Greek word translated “consume” is anairo, which means to kill, to murder, to slay, to slaughter, to do away with, or to abolish. The meaning here is clear: When the Lord comes, He will obliterate the antichrist. He will wipe him out and permanently do away with him.

How will the Lord do this? Paul says that “...the Lord shall consume [the antichrist] with the spirit of his mouth....” The word translated “spirit” is actually from the Greek word pneuma, which is normally translated spirit. Thus, the verse could be translated, “BY the spirit of his mouth.” This means that even though Satan energizes the antichrist with all the power he possesses, this evil leader doesn’t stand a chance in the Presence of Jesus. Paul lets us know that this demonized leader doesn’t even have enough strength to withstand one puff from the mouth of the Lord!

The Greek word stomos describes the mouth of the Lord from which this obliterating power will come. You see, on that day the Lord will open his mouth and speak — and when He does, so much power will be released that it will permanently remove the antichrist from the world scene.

In fact, Paul says this final encounter with the Lord will “destroy” this evil leader. The word “destroy” is the Greek word katargeo. Paul uses this word twenty-five times in his New Testament writings, so we know exactly what he intends by using it. This word means to bring to nothing; to reduce to waste; to render inactive; to abolish; or to put out of commission. There is no doubt that when Jesus Christ comes, He will permanently put the antichrist out of commission! The rule of evil will come to an abrupt end when Jesus returns at the end of the age.

I want you to know what Paul is talking about when he uses the phrase “the brightness of his [Jesus’] coming.” The word “brightness” is the Greek word epiphaneia. This word was used in classical Greece to describe the sudden and occasional surprise appearance of the Greek gods. When the fabled gods suddenly appeared, they were glorious and mighty in appearance. Now Paul reaches into classical literature and borrows a word that clearly means Jesus’ coming will take many by surprise and will be accompanied by great splendor and glory.

The world, entrenched in evil, will think it has won the victory and is secure in its plans. But then the Lord will come and take them all by surprise! Before anyone realizes what is happening, God’s glory will fill the sky, and Jesus will mightily appear in the sky overhead. His “coming” (from the word parousia, which describes the Lord’s strong Presence) will take the world by surprise, overwhelming everyone as every evil system set in place by unregenerate man is suddenly obliterated!

An interpretive translation of Second Thessalonians 2:8 could read:
“When the Wicked One steps onto the stage and makes his presence known, it won’t be too long afterward that the Lord will come. And when He comes, His coming will be so grand, so glorious, and so overwhelming that He will totally obliterate the Lawless One by the mere breath of His mouth. Just one puff from the Lord, and this evil person will be incinerated! The very Presence of the Lord will eradicate him, permanently putting him out of commission.”

You see, when you serve Jesus Christ, you have joined the greatest Champion in the universe. There is no power that can equal or surpass His power. There is no might on planet earth to compare with His awesome might. And just think — when you become a child of God, you become a joint heir with Him! Everything He possesses — including His power and His victory — becomes yours!

You should rejoice in the knowledge of what Jesus will do by His mighty power when He returns at the end of the age. However, don’t overlook the fact that this same power is available to you today. Jesus has given you His power so you can use it in this life.

So if evil is resisting you in some area of your life right now, open your mouth and let the power of God be released to obliterate that attack! Shock the devil with a sudden manifestation of God’s power that permanently immobilizes him in every area of your life!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I thank You for Your awesome power that You have chosen to share with Your children. I don’t ever have to let the devil run freely in my life. By opening my mouth and speaking the Word of God to my situation, Your power can be released to obliterate the enemy’s work in my life. Thank You for making me Your joint heir and for investing Your great power in my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I boldly declare that God’s power resides in me. There is enough power inside me to obliterate any attack the devil would attempt to bring against my life. Rather than sit in fear and fret about what is happening to me, I will open my mouth, speak the Word of truth, and watch the power of God attack, overwhelm, and overcome the strategies that the devil has tried to use against me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What are the areas of your life that seem to be under demonic assault right now?
2. What are you doing to resist these attacks? Are you foolishly shutting your eyes and hoping they will go away by themselves? Or are you opening your mouth to speak the Word of God and to release the power of God into your situation?
3. What scriptures should you be speaking over your life right now to bring a permanent solution to these assaults?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

The Great Restrainer!
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed....
— 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8


If Satan has been waiting to introduce the antichrist to the world, what is stopping him from allowing this evil leader to step onto the platform of the world stage right now? Why is it taking so long for the devil to finally bring this man to public attention?

Paul answered this question when he wrote Second Thessalonians 2:6-8. He said, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”

Notice that Paul says, “And now ye know....” In the Greek, the sentence could be better translated, “Now, since I have already told you all these things, you ought to already know....” This is important, for it tells us that Paul had already informed the Thessalonian believers about events that would occur in the last days.

Paul had only spent a mere matter of months with the Thessalonian church; we can therefore see from this passage of Scripture the importance he attached to their ability to understand end-time events. In the short time Paul was with the Thessalonian believers, he had instructed them so well on the events of the last days that he could now tell them, “Since I have already told you all these things, you ought to already know....”

Let me ask you this: If Paul used part of his brief stay with the Thessalonian church to teach them about the events that would occur in the last days, doesn’t this tell us that our understanding of this subject should be a very high priority? We can’t shut our eyes to these truths of Scripture. If Paul considered this theme so important that he would introduce it to a group of new believers, how much more do we who are seasoned believers need to grasp what the Bible teaches about the last days?

Paul told the Thessalonian believers that a Force “withholdeth” the antichrist from being revealed. Although the Greek doesn’t specifically state the identity of the restraining Force in this verse, it seems to suggest that Paul is referring to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.
Think of it — what if the power of the Spirit of God was suddenly withdrawn or removed from the earth? It would be only a brief matter of time before the devil quickly consummated his dream of world domination. You see, the Holy Spirit is the Great Restrainer, and He is holding back this evil from coming to pass in the world today.

The King James Version uses the word “withholdeth” to describe this restraining work of the Spirit. In Greek, it is the word katecho and carries the idea of holding something down or suppressing something. It is clear that this is an evil so horrendous that it must be held down, held back, or suppressed lest it be loosed to release a wide range of wicked effects. The supernatural Force Paul refers to is stalling, delaying, and postponing the evil that is craving to be fully released and set into operation.

Peter tells us why the Spirit of God is stalling, delaying, and postponing this dreadful time at the end of the age. In Second Peter 3:9, he says that God is “...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God is holding back the ultimate day of evil to give unbelievers more time to come to Him in repentance. But a day is soon coming when the Great Restrainer will “...be taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

When this day comes, the hindering Power that has continuously delayed the worldwide domination of evil and lawlessness will be removed. It will be as though He is suddenly lifted out of the middle of everything. At that moment, the evil forces that have long been suppressed will suddenly be freed, and their wicked plans, purposes, and desires will be abruptly energized. When the supernatural hindering Force is removed, these events will quickly come to pass with no hesitation, for the Restrainer will be out of the picture.

Once the Restrainer is gone, the antichrist will “be revealed.” The word “revealed” is the word apokalupto. The Greek word apo means away, and the word kalupto refers to something that is veiled, covered, concealed, or hidden. When these two words are compounded, they form the word apokalupto, which depicts a veil that has been removed, exposing what is behind the veil that was previously concealed or hidden from view. When the Holy Spirit’s restraining power has been withdrawn, there will no longer be any force present to hold back the evil forces. Therefore, this evil leader who has been concealed and hidden from public view will suddenly “appear.” In that moment, it will seem as if a stage curtain has been pulled out of the way so that he can make his grand appearance to the world.

Taking all these Greek words into consideration, an interpretive translation of Second Thessalonians 2:6-8 could read this way:
“Now in light of everything I’ve told you before, you ought to be well aware by now that there is a supernatural Force at work, preventing the materialization of this person and the disclosure of his identity.

“This restraining Force I’m referring to is so strong that it is currently putting on the brakes and holding back the unveiling of this wicked person, stalling and postponing his manifestation. But when the right moment comes, this evil one will no longer be withheld, and he will emerge on the world scene! The screen that has been hiding his true identity and guarding him from world view will suddenly be pulled back and evaporate — and he will step out on center stage to let everyone know who he is.

“These events have been covertly in the making for a long time, but the world doesn’t realize that a secret plan is being executed right under their own noses. The only thing that has kept this plan from already being consummated is the supernatural Force that has been holding it all back until now.

“But one day this Force will be removed from the picture — and when that happens, these events will quickly transpire. The removal of this restraining Force will signal the moment when the Lawless One will finally make his grand appearance to the world....”


Can you image how quickly evil would take over the world if the Spirit of God stopped restraining the presence of evil? Because God is holding back this force of evil to give men more time to repent, we are still living in a period of grace when men can call on the name of the Lord and be saved. We are truly living in a season of grace that God is extending to the world just before the worst evil in human history is manifested on the earth.

If you haven’t been spending much time in prayer for your unsaved friends and loved ones, why don’t you start making it a high priority today to pray for their salvation? Right now God is holding back evil so that your friends — and all mankind — may have one last opportunity to come to Him in repentance before the end of the age is consummated and all the prophecies of the Bible are fulfilled.

Which of your friends need to be saved? How often do you pray for them? What are you doing to ensure that they have an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If you possess the answers they need but don’t share those answers with them, how do you think you will feel when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ?

If you do your best to introduce your loved ones to Jesus but they refuse to listen, at least your heart will be free of guilt on that day when you stand before Jesus. So why don’t you begin to pray for them today? And while you’re in that place of prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to give you another chance to share the Gospel with those whom you know and love!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I thank You for holding back the evil forces that want to manifest in the world today. It’s hard to imagine what the world would be like if Your Spirit no longer suppressed the evil in the hearts of men. I thank You for working in the world today, and I thank You for giving my friends, family, associates, and acquaintances one last chance to come to You. Please help me recognize divinely appointed moments when I can present the Gospel to those who are near me. And I ask You to help me formulate my words so they can understand what I am communicating to them. Holy Spirit, as I speak to people, I ask You to do the work of conviction in their hearts so they will have a desire to believe and to repent.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am sensitive to opportunities that God gives me to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t have a spirit of fear about witnessing. Because the power of the Holy Spirit lives inside me, I am brave, bold, and courageous when it comes to telling the Good News of Jesus Christ. People need the Gospel — and that means they need to hear what I have to tell them. When I speak, God’s Spirit anoints me and people listen. As a result of my obedience, I am being used by God to bring many people to salvation in these last days!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Who are the unbelieving family members, friends, associates, or acquaintances you are most concerned about? Have you ever put them on a prayer list to help remind you to pray for their salvation every day?
2. Before you were saved, did anyone pray regularly for your salvation? Who was that person? After you came to the Lord, didn’t it make you thankful that someone cared enough to pray for you? Have you ever taken the time to thank that person for making your salvation a high priority in his or her prayer time?
3. Is there someone you are going to see today who might be open if you shared the Good News that Jesus died for him or her? Who is that person?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

The Appearance of the Antichrist
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
— 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4


From my early childhood, I heard about the antichrist. In the many years that I’ve been a Christian, I’ve heard people speculate that this person or that person could potentially be the antichrist. However, although these individuals may have been forerunners to the antichrist, none of them turned out to be the long-anticipated Man of Lawlessness described in the Scriptures.

The Bible teaches us that at some point in the future, an evil ruler called the antichrist is going to step onto the platform of the world stage and take the leading role for a short time in the affairs of mankind. Many predecessors of the antichrist have already come and gone, but according to this scripture in Second Thessalonians 2, the real antichrist is still yet to be revealed in the last times.

Paul tells us about the supernatural appearance of the antichrist when he writes about the last days in Second Thessalonians 2:3,4. Paul writes, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

Paul says that before the antichrist can be revealed, first there must be a “falling away” that takes place in the world. The phrase “falling away” is taken from the Greek word apostasia, which describes a falling away or a revolt. The writer Plutarch used this word to describe a political revolt. In First Maccabees 2:15, the word apostasia is used to picture people who are turning away from the Lord. This word also occurs in the Septuagint version of Joshua 22:22, where it conveys the idea of rebellion against God. Thus, the word apostasia is a word that denotes rebellion, mutiny, and defiance.

Before the antichrist can be welcomed with wide-open arms by the world, a change in society’s mentality must first take place. Paul uses this word to predict a rebellion or mutiny against God that will occur in the last days. The text does not imply that this mutiny will occur within the Church; rather, it seems to point to a change in society’s attitude toward God.

Paul is describing a time when society’s attitude toward God and holy things will become mutinous. Once this anti-God and anti-godliness mentality pervades society, the world will be primed and prepared to receive this man whom Paul calls “that man of sin.”

The Greek word used here for “sin” is the word anomia. Translating the word anomia as “sin” is unfortunate, for the word anomia actually means without law and carries the idea of a lawless attitude. It has a definite article in Greek, which tells us emphatically that this individual is not just any person with a lawless attitude; rather, this is a reference to the man of lawlessness or the antichrist.

Paul points to a time when this evil leader will be “revealed.” The word “revealed” is the Greek word apokalupto. It is a compound word, using the words apo and kalupto. The word apo means away, and the word kalupto is something that is veiled, covered, concealed, or hidden. When these two words are compounded, they form the word apokalupto, depicting a veil that has been removed, exposing what is behind the veil that was formerly concealed or hidden from view. Paul uses this word to inform us that a day is coming when the antichrist — who has been concealed and hidden from public view — will suddenly appear. In that moment when he suddenly emerges on the world scene, it will be as if a stage curtain has been pulled out of the way so that he can make his grand appearance.

Paul calls this wicked leader “the son of perdition.” The word “perdition” is from the Greek word apoleia, which speaks of something that is doomed, rotten, ruinous, or decaying. Although this world leader may boast that he will lead the world to a higher and better day, what he will actually bring to the world is doom, destruction, ruin, rot, and decay. No redeeming value can be found in anything produced by the antichrist’s rule. In the Greek text, Paul uses a definite article, loudly signaling that this evil world ruler is in a category like none other before him. He is not simply another evil person. He is THE Son of Doom and Destruction.

Next, Paul tells us that this wicked world leader will be one “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” The Greek word for “opposeth” is antikeimai, which means opposed to or against everything that is established. There is no doubt that this is a clear reference to the antichrist.

The word “antichrist” means against Christ. Thus, the Greek word used in this verse tells us that this evil leader will be against everything having to
do with God. It is important to note that the Greek grammar used in this verse paints the picture of a continual, unending, and perpetual resistance against the things of God. This is not just a one-time resistance against the things of God; rather, this poisonous quality will be deeply ingrained in the character of the antichrist. Everything in this evil ruler will be opposed to God and all that He represents.

Paul also warns that the antichrist “...exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped....” The word “exalteth” is the Greek word huperairo, which means to exceedingly exalt oneself or to be exalted highly. In this case, it is the idea of someone being exalted too highly. According to Paul, the antichrist will go to all lengths to exceedingly exalt himself in the eyes of the world. As we continue to study this verse, we discover that this wicked ruler will even attempt to sit in God’s rightful place in the temple and elevate himself higher than God Himself!

Paul says that the antichrist will oppose and exalt himself above all “that is worshipped.” The word for “worship” is the Greek word sebasma, which refers to anything that can be worshiped, including God. Here we see that the antichrist will attempt to stop the practice of worshiping God and demand that he become the primary focus of human attention and worship.

Then Paul prophesies that the antichrist will sit in the very place of God in the temple. The word “temple” is the Greek word naos. It is sometimes used to refer to the innermost part of the temple and may be interpreted as the Holy of Holies. On the basis of this verse, many scholars assert that the antichrist will enter a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, where he will go into the Holy of Holies and decree himself to be God incarnate.

Wasn’t this exactly what Lucifer attempted to do when he declared that he would exalt himself above the very throne of God? Isaiah tells us of Lucifer in Isaiah 14:13,14: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Following the long-held desire of Satan, the antichrist will again attempt to take the very place of God in the temple. Paul tells us that the antichrist will commit the ultimate offense of “...shewing himself that he is God.” The Greek word for “shew” is the word apodeiknumi, which actually means to vividly portray; to point out; to illustrate; to show off; or to make a vivid presentation. This is the picture of the antichrist using all possible means to demonstrate that he holds a rank that is even higher than God Himself.

In Second Thessalonians 2:9, Paul warns that the antichrist will even employ supernatural signs and wonders to try to prove that he is God. He says, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

The words “with all” are from the Greek words en pase, which emphatically declares that the antichrist will come with all power — implying that he will make his grand appearance with all kinds of power and supernatural displays. The Greek word for “power” is dunamis, which describes something that is explosive or dynamic. It is where we get the word dynamite. This means that when the antichrist appears, he will come with all kinds of powers that are truly extraordinary in the opinion of the lost world.

The Greek word for “sign” is semeion. This word denotes an act that points the viewer in a certain direction or an action performed to prove a point. It also means a beacon, a signal, or a sign. Just as a sign on the road gives directions to a driver, these supernatural feats are intended to point the attention and focus of the world to the antichrist.

The word “wonder” is the Greek word teras, and it is often translated miracles. This refers to something that causes people to marvel or to be amazed. The same word is used in Matthew 24:24, where Jesus warns that false prophets will perform wonders in the last days to deceive and to draw people away after themselves. Here it is used to say that when Satan finally has the opportunity to introduce his antichrist to the world, the evil ruler will energetically attempt to take the very place of God — even using lying signs and wonders to show that he is God.

When you put all these Greek words together, you discover that Paul’s words in Second Thessalonians 2:3,4,9 could be interpreted:
“In light of these things, I urge you to refuse to allow anyone to take advantage of you. For example, you won’t need a letter to tell you when the day of the Lord has come. You ought to know by now that this day can’t come until first a worldwide insurgency, rebellion, riot, and mutiny against God has come about in society.

“Once that occurs, the world will then be primed, prepared, and ready to embrace the Man of Lawlessness, the one who hates law and has rebellion running in his blood. This is the long-awaited and predicted Son of Doom and Destruction, the one who brings rot and ruin to everything he touches. When the time is just right, he will finally come out of hiding and go public!

“Do you understand whom I am talking about? I’m describing that person who will be so against God and everything connected with the worship of God that, if you can imagine it, he will even try to put himself on a pedestal above God Himself — sitting in God’s rightful place in the temple and publicly proclaiming himself to be God!

“This evil one will be energized by Satan himself as he makes his arrival known to the world with all kinds of dynamic supernatural powers — powers that are truly extraordinary. These lying signs and wonders and supernatural feats have only one purpose: They are designed to draw attention to the Lawless One and to make the world stand in awe of him.”

Any Christian who is sensitive to the Spirit of God is keenly aware that we are living in a time when society’s attitude toward God is radically changing. The world is being primed and prepared to throw open its arms and receive this world ruler who will oppose God and bring rot, ruin, and destruction to mankind. Unfortunately, the lost world doesn’t realize that it is being slowly seduced and trained for this moment the devil has long awaited.

As believers, we have no need to be afraid, for none of this will affect those who know Jesus Christ. However, it will affect those who are lost and without God. They will fall under the supernatural hypnotism of this devil- anointed leader. And if they don’t come to know Jesus Christ before all of this occurs, they will be ensnared in the trap that the entire world is about to fall into in the days to come.

Please realize what a critical time you are living in right now. Jesus is coming quickly. Those who know Him will escape many of these trials and temptations, but those who don’t know Him will be caught in the delusion and devastation. It’s good to rejoice that you will escape, but what about those you love? What are you going to do to ensure that they escape the evil days that are coming upon the earth?

In light of this clear teaching of Scripture, don’t you think it’s time for you to reach out to your unsaved friends and family members and speak to them about the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you an opportunity to speak to them; then let Him fill your mouth with the right words as you earnestly plead with them to make Jesus Christ the Lord of their lives.


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I ask You to give me the boldness I need to present the Gospel to my friends and family members who are unsaved. I know that if they don’t receive Jesus, they will be lost in sin and caught in the delusion that is coming upon the world in the days to come. I don’t want to stand before You knowing that they are lost because I was too afraid to open my mouth and tell them of Your saving blood. Holy Spirit, please give me the boldness I need and the right words to speak to those who are near and dear to my heart. When I stand before You, I want to be assured in my heart that I did everything I could to rescue those who are lost and perishing. Please help me to do this and to start today!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am not afraid to testify of Jesus Christ to others. In fact, the love of God compels me to reach out to those who are lost. I know I will give account for those I could have reached but didn’t, so I will do everything I can to speak to them, to reach them, and to make sure they have an opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. If they refuse to listen or to receive, I will be freed from my responsibility. My part is just to make sure they had a chance to hear and to believe. The Holy Spirit is empowering me to testify, so starting today, I will follow His leading and speak to unbelievers about Jesus as God provides opportunities for me to do so.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you have unsaved friends or relatives who need to know the Lord before all these terrible events begin to unfold on the world stage? Who are these loved ones? Do you regularly pray for their salvation?
2. How long has it been since you have personally presented the Gospel to those loved ones who are still unsaved? Is the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart, trying to prompt you to share Christ with them at this time?
3. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to give you an opportunity to present the Gospel to your friends and loved ones? When the Holy Spirit gave you an opportunity in the past, did you take advantage of it, or did you let it pass you by? If you let it pass you by, why don’t you ask the Holy Spirit to give you another opportunity to present Jesus to those whom you love?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

A Signal That Jesus’ Return Is Near
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.
— 2 Thessalonians 2:1


When Paul wrote his second letter to the church of Thessalonica, he was exceedingly excited at the thought of Jesus’ soon return. In fact, he was so thrilled about the prospect of Jesus’ coming again that he devoted the entire second chapter of Second Thessalonians to the events that would occur in the last days. As Paul wrote this famous chapter about the events of the last days, he began by declaring, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.”

Notice that Paul uses the word “beseech” in this verse. Normally the word “beseech” would be the Greek word parakaleo, but in this verse, Paul uses the word erotao rather than the word parakaleo. The word erotao means to ask or to make a strong request. This word calls upon the listener to cautiously listen to what is being said and to respond in a fitting manner to what has been heard. Because Paul is speaking of the coming of the Lord and uses the word erotao to appeal to his listeners, he clearly means for them to take his words seriously and to let these words make a strong impact in their lives.

When we think about the coming of the Lord, it should make a strong impact in our lives. It should affect the way we live, the way we think, the way we carry on in our relationships, and the way we invest our money into the Kingdom of God. It is simply a fact that Jesus is coming for His Church, and we should constantly live in the light of His coming. When we live with the awareness that Jesus is coming again, it changes our conduct and behavior. By using the word erotao (“beseech”), Paul is communicating to his readers that they have a responsibility to respond to his message about Jesus’ soon return. They are to live in a godly, upright, and holy manner as they wait for “the coming of our Lord.”

Then he begins to speak to them about the “coming of our Lord.” The word “coming” is from the Greek word parousia. This word always places special emphasis on the Presence of the Lord — especially the Presence of God that can be tangibly felt among His people. Here it is used to describe the strong Presence of God that will be felt when Jesus returns to gather His people to Himself. The word implies that the Church will feel a phenomenal divine Presence when it is time for Jesus to gather His people to Himself at the end of the age.

This means that as we come closer to the return of Jesus, the parousia — the strong Presence of the Lord — will be strongly sensed among believers. In fact, the ever-growing, strong Presence of the Lord in the midst of the Church will be one of the signals that Jesus’ return is close at hand. As His Presence gets stronger and stronger, we will know it is time for Him to return to “gather” us to Himself.

When Paul speaks about “our gathering together unto Him,” the phrase “gathering together” comes from the Greek word episunagoge. This word is used perfectly in the apocryphal book of Second Maccabees 2:7, where it refers to that moment in the future when God will finally gather His people together to Himself. This is exactly how Paul uses it in Second Thessalonians 2:1 as he talks about that moment when God will finally gather His people together to Himself at the coming of Jesus.

In Second Thessalonians 2:1, Paul uses the word episunagoge (“gathering together”) to describe that future moment when the Lord will quickly gather or collect His people together to Himself at the end of the age. At that divine moment, all of God’s people will be quickly gathered together and collected in a common assembly to meet the Lord in the air. What a meeting that will be!

Considering the Greek words that Paul used in Second Thessalonians 2:1, this verse could be interpreted the following way:
“Brothers, I make this urgent, heartfelt request to you today, earnestly and sincerely pleading with you from the bottom of my heart to hear what I’m telling you and to do exactly as I say. The appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ is very near. In fact, it is so close that we can almost feel His Presence as if He were already here among us. The moment we have all longed for and waited for is almost upon us! I’m talking about that moment when Jesus will finally gather us together to Himself.”

The apostle Peter warned us that at the end of the age, many scoffers would mock at the promise of Jesus’ return, asserting that if Jesus was going to come, surely He would have already come. Peter wrote, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?...” (2 Peter 3:3,4).

The word “scoffers” is from the Greek word empaidzo, and it described one who makes fun of another through mockery. It conveyed the idea of disdain, scorn, derision, and ridicule. The Greek word empaidzo also meant to play a game. It was often used for playing a game with children or for amusing a crowd by impersonating someone in a silly and exaggerated way. For instance, this word might be used in a game of charades when someone intends to comically portray someone or even make fun of someone.

We find this word used in Luke 22:63, where the Bible tells us, “And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.” The Greek word empaidzo categorically lets us know that these men turned a few minutes of that nightmarish night before Jesus’ crucifixion into a stage of comedy at His expense. They put on quite a show, hamming it up as they almost certainly pretended to be Jesus and the people He ministered to. Perhaps they laid hands on each other as if they were healing the sick; or lay on the floor and quivered, as if they were being liberated from devils; or wobbled around, acting as if they had been blind but now could suddenly see. Whatever these leaders did to mock Jesus, it was a game of charades to mimic and make fun of Him.

Now Peter uses this same word to depict mockers in the last days who would make fun of those who believe in Jesus’ coming. I can almost hear them saying, “Come on, if Jesus was going to come, don’t you think He would have been here by now? Quit hanging on to this false hope, you dreamers!”

But the grammar used in Second Peter 3:3,4 tells us that this mocking is the characteristic behavior of these scoffers. It could be more accurately translated, “Mockers will come mocking.” In other words, they don’t only mock on occasion; they are mockers by habit. They find great delight in regularly mocking and making fun of those who believe that Jesus is coming to gather His Church to Himself.

But regardless of what doubt-filled believers or antagonistic unbelievers say as they mock us, the truth is that Jesus is coming again soon! Second Thessalonians 2:1 gives us one of the signs that will occur to let us know His arrival is upon us: We will suddenly be aware of the supernatural Presence of Jesus in the Church like never before. The closer we come to the time of His return, the more strongly this phenomenal Presence of God will be felt in our midst. In fact, it will seem as if His coming is already upon us! That strong Presence of God will signal to us that it is just about time for Jesus to quickly gather us and collect us to Himself!

So in the days to come, close your ears to the mockers who make fun of you for believing in Jesus’ soon return. Then open your heart to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to make you sensitive to His voice inside your spirit. As you are faithful to do this, you will recognize that moment when the Presence of God becomes much stronger in the Church, and you’ll know that moment for what it is — one of the greatest indications that Jesus’ return is upon us!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, help me to be sensitive to Your Presence so I can be aware of that moment when Your coming is near to us. Help me close my ears to those mockers who say You will never come. By Your grace, I will hold tightly to Your promise that You will come one day to collect Your people to Yourself. Help me live a life that is holy — one that pleases You and for which I will not be ashamed when You suddenly appear to gather the Church to Yourself.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am living a holy life that pleases God, a life for which I am not ashamed. I say no to sin; I crucify my flesh; and I do my very best to yield to and walk in the Spirit. I am sensitive to the Presence of God. And when the moment draws near for Jesus to come and collect His people to Himself, I will sense the growing strength of His Presence in the Church and will recognize it as a signal that God’s people will soon be leaving planet earth! I believe in Jesus’ coming; I expect it in my lifetime; and I am doing all I can to preach the Gospel to the lost so they won’t be left out when Jesus gathers the Church to Himself.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Are you living a life that makes you feel confident about seeing Jesus face to face when He returns for His people? Or are you allowing secret sins in your life that make you fearful about Jesus’ soon return? If you answered yes to the second question, what are those secret sins, and what steps do you need to take to remove them from your life?

2. What can you do to increase your spiritual sensitivity so you will recognize the moment when the Presence of God suddenly and supernaturally energizes the Church, alerting God’s people that the time for Jesus’ arrival is upon them?
3. Write down two lists, answering the following two questions: What things do you need to remove from your life because they adversely affect your spiritual sensitivity? What do you need to add to your life to help you become more spiritually sensitive?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Investing in Your Eternity
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
— 1 Timothy 6:19


When Russian Czar Peter the Great died, his daughter Elizabeta Petrovna came to the throne and became the Empress of Russia. She was perhaps the most flamboyant ruler ever to reign over Russia. The extravagance of her lifestyle was legendary. She owned more palaces than she could use, and the Cinderella-type carriages she owned were hand-carved and gold-leafed. In addition, the carriage doors and spikes of the wheels of each carriage were studded with dazzling diamonds to match the solid gold crowns that were laden with emeralds and rubies and affixed to the top.

The Empress Elizabeta also had an abnormal love of clothes. She completely changed her attire three times a day and never once wore the same article of clothing twice. This was no problem for her, given the fact that she owned 15,000 regal gowns, many of which were spun from pure silver and gold and encrusted with precious gems.

This ruler of Russia came to be known as the “party queen” because she threw hundreds of parties in her massive gold-gilded palaces. To make sure no royal woman ever wore the same gown to such an event twice, she established a new rule: Servants were to be stationed at all the doors; then as each woman left the palace parties, the servants were to stamp the back of these fabulous gowns with a huge black ink stamp. The ink stamp declared that the dress had already been worn to one party and could never be worn to another one. That stamp literally ruined the dress, ensuring that no one would ever dare attend one of the empress’s celebrations in an already-used garment.

During the rule of Empress Elizabeta, she ordered the hundreds of massive columns and statues that adorned all her palaces to be covered with pure gold. However, when Catherine the Great came to power and became the Empress of Russia, she considered that much gold on the exterior of a palace to be garish and unfitting (although Catherine’s lifestyle was actually no less ostentatious than Elizabeta’s). Therefore, Catherine ordered her servants to scrape all the gold off the columns and statues and to throw it away, replacing it with white paint.

When the news of this disposal of gold reached the ears of the wealthy class in Saint Petersburg, a successful merchant came to Catherine the Great and asked if he could purchase the gold she was throwing away. Catherine sternly replied to him, “Excuse me, but who do you think I am? Do you think that I, the Empress of Russia, am so poor that I need to sell my rubbish?” With that, she ordered all the old, scraped-off gold to be thrown away.

Once when I was visiting Saint Petersburg and touring some of these vast historical palaces, I pondered the way these wealthy rulers spent such massive fortunes on themselves. I thought, Today we visit the palaces of people who once lived luxuriously but whose bones now lie in their graves. Although these people lived in opulence during their lifetimes, what good does their wealth do for them now? Did they spend it all on themselves, only to spend an eternity in spiritual impoverishment? What is the eternal condition of these people?

If we are to live wisely, we must invest not only in temporary moments of pleasure, but also in the eternity that lies before all of us. Moments of pleasure in this life are enjoyable but fleeting; however, what we invest in eternity never fades. This is why Paul told the rich in Timothy’s church that they were to be “laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1 Timothy 6:19). The same message applies to us today.

The words “laying up” are from the Greek word apothesauridzo. This Greek word is a compound of the word apo, which means away, and the word thesaurus, which is the Greek word for a treasure. The two words compounded together mean to store away treasure or to amass a fortune. The new word depicts people putting their investments in a safe place where they cannot be stolen, ruined, or diminished.

Most affluent and prosperous people work very hard to see that their money is invested in safe, profitable, money-making investments. This is why they put their money into stocks and bonds, property, art, or other investments that will eventually reap healthy dividends. They want to see their fortune grow. And if they are wise, they will not invest in ventures that are too risky because they don’t want to see their fortunes stolen, ruined, or diminished.

Likewise, God expects you to be wise with the finances He has entrusted to you. This is made clear in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, where Jesus commends the servants who caused their resources to grow and rebuked the servant who did nothing to increase his financial capacity.

Based on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25, we know that each of us should do everything possible to increase the size of our wealth. However, this financial increase isn’t to be gained so we can hoard it or spend it on ourselves! Paul says that if we’ve been blessed with wealth, we need to also think very seriously about how to “lay it up” where it will never be diminished. In fact, he goes on to say that we should use our money to amass “...a good foundation against the time to come....”

The word “good” in the phrase “a good foundation” is the word kalos. As noted in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, the word kalos pictures something that is sound, healthy, fine, or excellent. The word “foundation” is the Greek word themelios. This word is most likely an early combination of the Greek word lithos, which means stone, and the word tithimi, which means to place. It depicts that which is set in stone; a foundation that cannot be easily moved or shaken; or something so solid that it will endure the test of time. This is the reason it later came to be translated as the word foundation.

The words “time to come” are taken from the Greek word mello and describe events that are coming in the future. Later in the verse, Paul proceeds to talk about eternity, leaving no doubt that he is referring to eternity when he speaks of a “time to come.” He wants to urge people to invest not only in the present, but also in the eternity that lies in all their futures.

You see, the money you spend on your own pleasures right now is gone once it is spent. As noted earlier (see November 23), it is normal for you to enjoy the finances you have worked so hard to attain. You should enjoy them. But to spend all of it on yourself here and invest none of it into your eternal future is simply stupidity. What you spend on yourself right now in this life is gone once you have died. On the other hand, what you sow into the Gospel reaches into the next life as an investment that keeps growing for all of eternity — an investment that amasses for yourself an enduring, never-ending reward in the life to come!

If you are a wise investor, you are already aware that you must think long-term when you make your investments. Likewise, as you sow your seed into the Gospel and into those who take it to the ends of the earth, you must remember that you may not see the tangible fruit of your investment in this life. But one day when you get to Heaven, you will at last see the phenomenal reward of your giving. Then you will reap the dividends of the finances you sowed into the Kingdom of God!

So don’t spend all your money on your earthly existence and forget to lay up a good foundation for the eternity that lies in your future. Give now, and by faith prepare for yourself a wealthy existence in the eternity that lies before you!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, help me to always keep in mind that eternity lies before me. Too often I get so consumed in the affairs of this life that I forget to think about my eternal existence. I don’t want to be so focused on making myself comfortable in this life that I forget to do what I must to make myself comfortable in the next life. Help me lay up a good foundation for the eternity that lies in my future. Holy Spirit, I ask You to teach me not only how to cause my personal wealth to grow here and now, but also how to sow financial seed into the Gospel that will benefit many and cause me to reap great rewards when I pass into the life yet to come!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I boldly declare that I am investing in my future! All of eternity lies before me, so I am sowing seed into the Kingdom of God, believing that it will be multiplied back to me now as it is also laid up for me in my eternal future. I am a wise investor, so I sow regularly and faithfully into the work of God’s Kingdom — and my faith investments are reaping for me a great harvest in the days to come!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Are you sowing for eternity, or are you investing only for the dividends you can reap in this life right now?
2. What can you do to make sure you are not spending all your money on your present pleasures, forgetting to lay up a good foundation for the eternity that lies in your future? When you evaluate what you sow into the Kingdom of God, can you conclude that you are serious about investing into eternity?
3. What changes do you need to make in your spending and investing habits in order to ensure that you will reap strong eternal dividends when you pass into eternity? Why don’t you make a list of the ministries and organizations where you sow your financial seed so you can reevaluate your giving and determine where you can give more?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Do Good, Be Rich in Good Works, Be Ready To Distribute, Be Willing To Communicate
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.
— 1 Timothy 6:17,18


I am so thankful that my wife and I personally know many godly wealthy people who are mission-minded and who generously give to see the Gospel go to the ends of the earth. Although they could selfishly use their money merely for the sake of self-embellishment, they have learned that God gave them money for a purpose: so they could empower preachers of the Gospel to take the message of Jesus Christ to people who need to hear it. Therefore, in addition to personally enjoying their wealth as they should, they have also learned to do a great deal of good with their finances.

I’ll never forget the time we sat down with a particular family who fits this description. They invited us to dinner; then while we were at dinner with them, they told me and my wife that they had decided to invest into our ministry. We sat in shock as they told us how they had looked into our finances and checked us out as thoroughly as they possibly could. Then they said they were so blessed with what they had discovered, they decided to channel some of their money into our ministry for the advancement of the Gospel! After researching our ministry, they felt confident the finances would be used properly. So from that day onward, these precious people began to regularly sow into the work God has given us to do.

This wealthy family is diligent to fulfill God’s command to the rich as presented in First Timothy 6:17,18. In these verses, Paul gives Timothy instructions for those who were rich in the younger minister’s church. Paul tells Timothy to charge the rich that they “...do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” Today I want us to delve deeply into this verse to see exactly what God’s expectation is for those who are financially blessed in His Kingdom.

When Paul instructed the rich to “do good,” he used the word agathoergeo, which is a compound of agathos and ergos. The word agathos means good or beneficial, and the word ergos is the most common word in the New Testament for work, presenting the idea of someone who is very active. When they are compounded together, the new word means to do works that are good, beneficial, excellent, profitable, or helpful to others.

These are deeds that leave people in a better condition than they were before the deeds were performed. But because the word ergos is used, it pictures one who really works at doing good, not one who lazily or thoughtlessly performs these actions. The rich are therefore instructed to be thoughtful, serious, and fervent about their giving, like the family I mentioned earlier who blessed our ministry. They should work hard at giving to the right people and to the right places.

Paul goes on to say that the rich are to “be rich in good works.” The word “rich” is the word plousios, describing incredible abundance, extreme wealth, and enormous affluence. The word “works” is ergos, the Greek word for work. It tells the rich that they should be constantly working to use their wealth to benefit other people. Their giving should be something they do seriously and with focused attention.

To describe the level of works they are to perform, Paul uses the word “good.” This is the word kalos, and it pictures something that is sound, healthy, fine, or excellent. These are excellent works. You could say that these are works that are done soundly and that leave the recipient in a healthy position.

Paul then tells the rich that they must be “ready to distribute.” The words “ready to distribute” come from the Greek word eumetadotos. It is a triple compound word of the words eu, meta, and didomi. The word eu describes a feeling of elation and ecstasy. It is what a person feels when he is simply thrilled about something. It is where we get the word euphoria. The second part of the word is meta, and it can be translated a variety of ways, depending on the particular grammar being used in the sentence. In this verse, it means with or about. The third part of the word is from the word didomi, which simply means to give. Once these three words are compounded together, the new word literally means that those who possess a lot of material resources should be elated, thrilled, and euphoric about every opportunity they have to give.

Next, Paul tells the rich that they must be “willing to communicate.” This phrase comes from the single Greek word koinonikos. This word is taken from the word koinonia, which expresses the idea of anything that is shared in common. But when the word koinonia becomes the word koinonikos, as it is in this verse, it pictures a person who is a champion at sharing what he owns. This person doesn’t begrudgingly share what he owns; he liberally, generously, and joyfully shares it! He is big-hearted and open-handed — just the opposite of one who is tightfisted and stingy. This is a heroic giver. Therefore, when Paul tells the rich to be “willing to communicate,” he is teaching them that they should be champion givers!

When we put all these Greek words together, we see that Paul is urging the rich to:
“Work diligently at richly performing good deeds with the resources God has given you. Put your whole heart into using those resources to leave people in better shape then they were before you acted on their behalf. You should be elated, thrilled, and euphoric about every opportunity you have to give. You should be excited about every chance that presents itself for you to be generous!”

God requires everyone to be a giver, but when a person is especially blessed financially more than others, God expects that richly blessed person to do more than others can do because he has more.

So if God has financially blessed you, He is calling you to use your wealth to become rich in good works! God expects you to go above and beyond what others do because you have the ability to do more. And God expects you to be excited about it!

So I want to ask you — when you are confronted with an opportunity to give of your finances, do you get excited about it, or do you begrudge every gift you give? Do you feel like you’re losing something when you give of your finances, or do you see your gift as a welcome opportunity to help enrich someone else’s life? Do you receive joy from giving, or does it break your heart when you see your money pass from your hands into someone else’s hands?

Today I urge you to go before the Lord and allow His Spirit to speak to your heart about your giving. Rather than just thoughtlessly drop money into an offering plate or into some project, begin to give serious prayer and thought to the question of how and when you should give. Study those to whom you wish to give. Make sure you are giving to the right people and to the right places. And when you are confident that you’ve found a place that will handle your finances responsibly, begin to sow your finances with joy!

When you find good soil to sow your financial seed, you should be euphoric! And you should also rejoice in the fact that you have the ability to make a huge difference in other people’s lives!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I ask You to help me see exactly where I should sow my finances. Please help me to see those people and organizations that will wisely handle the money I sow; then give me the ability to sow into those places with elation and joy! I want to be excited about my giving! I want to give, knowing that my gift is truly going to make a huge difference. And as I give to benefit others, I ask You to honor Your Word and multiply it back to me again so I can continue to give and be a blessing to the Christian community.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that God’s Spirit speaks to me and helps me know exactly where I am supposed to sow my finances. I am serious about my giving; therefore, I sow carefully and thoughtfully. My money is not to be spent selfishly only on myself, for God has richly blessed me so I can be a rich blessing to others for the sake of the Gospel. I therefore use my resources to do good works that will leave people in better condition than they were before I gave. I am excited about living my life as a liberal, generous, open-handed giver. Therefore, God continues to richly bless me, for He knows I will be a channel through which His blessings can keep flowing out to those who need it.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How should you respond to what you have read in today’s Sparkling Gem? What new truths did you learn about the attitude you should have in your giving?
2. Would you describe yourself as a champion giver, or would you have to honestly say that you need to increase in your giving? Do you live to give, or do you give only when you feel like the Spirit of God is twisting your arm to do it?
3. When you do finally decide to give to a church, ministry, or organization, do you give regularly and faithfully so you can help make that organization more sound and healthy?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

If You’re Financially Blessed, Don’t Feel Guilty About It!
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
— 1 Timothy 6:17


Many years ago, my wife and I knew a family who was extremely wealthy. When I use the word “extremely” to describe their wealth, even this word inadequately expresses the immense reserves of worldly possessions they had accumulated. Due to their great-great-grandfather’s wise planning two generations earlier, their family money had been invested in such a way that it couldn’t be touched and therefore wouldn’t be spent. As a result, the family investments had kept growing and accumulating for two generations.

Although vast sums of money were in the bank and belonged to these family members, they were not allowed to touch one cent of it until the date that had been set by their great-great-grandfather. They were enormously wealthy; yet they struggled financially to make ends meet because the treasure they had in the bank wasn’t at their disposal.

When we first came to know this family, the time had finally arrived — their money became available for them to use and enjoy. But because they had lived for so long with so little, they didn’t know how to enjoy the money. In fact, even though they could purchase anything they wished, they didn’t. They felt guilty about owning so much money.

So instead of enjoying their wealth, these family members just let the money sit in the bank, where it continued to grow larger. Meanwhile, they lived like people who were financially strapped for cash. They wore old clothes; they balked at spending the money to purchase a new car; and they were very concerned about what people would think of them if word ever got out about how much money they had in the bank. When I saw these people, I’d try to encourage them to go buy some new clothes, but they didn’t want to spend the money to do it. Even though they could purchase anything they wanted, they lived like poor people.

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he gave him instructions for the rich people who attended his church. He said, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

I want you to notice that God’s blessings are to be enjoyed. The word “enjoy” in this verse is from the Greek word apolausis, which describes a person who gets the maximum benefit from something he owns. Rather than feel guilty about what he owns, he derives great pleasure, gratification, and enjoyment from what he possesses. This means if God has entrusted abundant resources to you, you shouldn’t feel guilty about your wealth or feel badly about enjoying it. God wants you to enjoy the blessings and resources He has entrusted to you!

Paul asked the Corinthians, “...Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?” (1 Corinthians 9:7). In other words, if you have worked hard to produce the success you are now experiencing, it is right and normal for you to personally enjoy a part of it!

Worldly wealth empowers you to get things done; it enables you to be a blessing to other people; and it gives you the ability to sow into the work and advancement of the Gospel. So stop feeling guilty if you are financially blessed. Stop feeling like it’s wrong that you got a promotion when someone else didn’t. You have worked hard for the harvest you are now reaping, and it’s time to start enjoying what God has done for you!

Why don’t you change the way you are thinking? Learn to see yourself as one who has been specially empowered in order to be a blessing to others and to give for the advancement of the Gospel. And if you want to enjoy some of your wealth along the way, there’s nothing wrong with that either! God has given you all things richly to enjoy!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I have asked You to bless me financially. So when increased finances begin to come, please help me have the grace both to enjoy them and to use them for the advancement of Your Kingdom. I don’t want to flaunt the money I possess or to frivolously spend it. Instead, I want to use it to do something positive and eternal in this life. At the same time, please teach me how to enjoy the financial increase You have blessed me with and to know that it is all right for me to personally derive some benefit from it as well. Help me to truly understand that You give us ALL things richly to enjoy!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am blessed of the Lord. My personal finances are growing, and I am being positioned to become a source of huge financial blessing to other people. I have worked hard for the blessings that are coming my way, and I have every right to enjoy a part of them personally. The Holy Spirit is giving me wisdom to know how to administrate my finances — to whom I should give funds, as well as how I should spend and invest my money. I have the mind of Christ to deal appropriately with the financial blessings that God is sending into my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What would you do if a large sum of money was suddenly dropped into your hands today?
2. Are you sowing seed into the Gospel that will bring a harvest back into your life? Where are you sowing that seed? Why have you chosen to sow your seed into that particular ministry or organization?
3. Do you enjoy your possessions, or do you feel guilty about possessing them? To fully enjoy what God has given you, what changes do you need to make in the way you think about material possessions?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

A Message to the Rich
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
— 1 Timothy 6:17

When the rule of communism began to dissipate in the Soviet Union, it left the economy in utter shambles. Nearly every basic commodity was unavailable, including basic items such as sugar, flour, cheese, milk, and eggs. There was a huge deficit of light bulbs, toilet paper, and most household products. Gasoline was so expensive that most people preferred to walk than to pay the kind of money needed to fill the gas tank.

This situation meant that whoever controlled the basic supplies of life had the ability to acquire incredible wealth. Because it was a time of great political and economic confusion, nearly anything was possible. As a result, a large number of scoundrels, bandits, thieves, criminals, lawyers, politicians, and especially bright common people began to think of ways to turn this great disadvantage into their own personal advantage.

Today’s Russian society now includes a new class of super-rich. To say these people are fabulously wealthy is an understatement. They are what some might call filthy, stinking rich! It is difficult to imagine how this tiny part of Russia’s population could have made this kind of money in such a brief period of time.

In this category are people who arrogantly drive their Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Mercedes through the streets of Moscow, expecting the whole world to move out of their way as they drive past. As is often true with people who make a lot of money in a short period of time, they are usually very rude. Their newly made wealth goes to their heads, causing them to strut through the stores, restaurants, and shopping centers as if they were the owners of planet earth. Their snobbery is on a world-class level. They are completely consumed with how to frivolously spend the riches they have amassed. However, most of them end up losing their money just as quickly as they made it.

This type of person who makes loads of money quickly and then distastefully flaunts his wealth can be found in every nation of the world. There were even such people in the Roman world of the first century. Paul wrote Timothy and told him to tell the rich, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

It is a fact that a small minority of “rich” people came to Christ in the first century and were members of the Church. It was in regard to this group of individuals that Paul told Timothy, “Charge them that are rich in this world....” The word “charge” is the Greek word parangelo, which means to charge or to command. It is such a strong command that it should actually be received as a requirement — not a negotiable option. Thus, when Timothy deals with the wealthy in his church, he is to give them the strong exhortation that Paul is about to give him with such firmness that they receive it as an order from the Lord!

When Paul calls these people “rich,” he uses the word plousios, a very old Greek word that describes someone who possesses incredible abundance, extreme wealth, and enormous affluence. This word would not describe someone who is moderately wealthy but rather someone who is extremely wealthy. Just as there are people of great influence and enormous wealth who come to Christ today and learn to faithfully attend church, apparently this was also the case in the first century.

It is right that we should pray for the wealth of this world to pass into the hands of the godly who would use it for eternal purposes. God wants His people to be blessed. He wants them to have enough to meet their own needs and to abundantly meet the needs of others. He wants Christians to have enough to finance the preaching of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

But so often when large sums of money pass into the hands of people for the first time, their wealth goes to their heads and creates in them the “high- minded” attitude I mentioned earlier and to which Paul now refers. This is not the attitude God wants from His people when money passes into their hands.

What exactly does the Greek word for “high-minded” mean? The word “high-minded” in Greek is hupsilophroneo. The first part of this word comes from the Greek word hupslos, meaning exalted, elevated, high, or lofty. The second part of this word is phroneo, which means to think, to consider, to deem, or to be of a certain opinion. When these two words are compounded together, the new word means to think too highly of oneself. It refers to the opinion one has when he thinks he is better than others.

Paul uses a negative in the Greek, which strongly alerts us that one shouldn’t think of himself as better than others simply because he has more money than others. Even if a person is uncommonly financially blessed and operates in exceptional financial circles, he still shouldn’t deem himself better than other people just because he has more money than they do.

Paul tells the wealthy people in the Church that they are not to “...trust in uncertain riches....” The word “uncertain” is the word adelotes. This is the only time that this exact word appears in the New Testament. It means uncertain, inconsistent, or something so unstable that it can go as easily as it came. The word “trust” is the Greek word elpidzo, the most common word for hope in the New Testament. As used in this verse, it means not to place one’s hope on one certain thing. The particular Greek tense used here carries the idea of one who places his hope in something and then keeps his hope there.

Paul says the rich are not to set their hope “in” riches. The word “in” is the Greek word epi, which would be better translated upon. A more accurate rendering of this entire phrase would be that the rich are “...not to fix their hope upon uncertain riches....”

Riches are uncertain. Just ask those who thought they were financially set for life but then lost almost all their fortunes through a sudden change in the stock market. There are many people who wake up in the morning rich but go to bed that same night financially insolvent. Therefore, Paul tells the rich that instead of putting their hope in finances that are uncertain, they are to fix their hope “...in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”

If your sense of security rests in your financial portfolio and then your portfolio diminishes or disappears, you could be thrown into an enormous identity crisis that results in great fear, anxiety, and insecurity. But when your trust is in the Lord, you are never shaken no matter what happens in the material realm. Why? Because your identity is not in what you possess but in who you are in Jesus Christ.

If you know others who are being financially blessed, rejoice with them. Pray for such people to have the necessary wisdom to use their finances the way God wishes them to use it.

And if you are financially blessed yourself, praise God for it! However, be careful to keep separate who you are from what you own. Don’t let your identity get all wrapped up in what you own so that your sense of security becomes deeply shaken by any material loss. Never forget that who you are is much more important than what you own, and your relationships in this life are much more important than your possessions.

Financial prosperity is a blessing from Heaven and a great honor from the Lord. But if God has trusted you with riches, remember to keep your head on straight. Don’t ever think you are better than others just because you possess a lot of wealth. God blessed you so that you could be a blessing. Therefore, learn to see yourself as a servant of God whose job is to manage and distribute the funds you have amassed as He desires!

Today I urge you not to fall into the category of those who think too highly of themselves just because they have more money than others. God certainly didn’t give you wealth so that you could develop a pride problem!

Go to the Lord regularly and ask Him how He wants you to use those funds. As you keep your heart open to the Holy Spirit and stay willing to hear what He has to say, He will direct you on how to use the resources at your disposal. And if you ever get into pride, He will gently correct you and bring you back to the attitude He desires you to possess.


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, thank You for the blessings You have given to my family and me. You have abundantly blessed me, and I am so grateful for everything You have done. I ask You to help me keep the right attitude toward others who have less than I do; to refrain from a false attitude of pride or haughtiness; and to see myself as the manager of divinely assigned funds. I want to trust in You, Lord — not in the things You have placed at my disposal. Possessions and material things are fleeting, but You are always the same. Therefore, I choose to fix my hope on You and not on the financial increase with which You have blessed me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that because my trust is in the Lord, I am never shaken. My identity is not in what I own but in who I am in Jesus Christ! Even though I am financially blessed, I keep WHO I AM separate from WHAT I OWN. Who I am is much more important than what I own, and my relationships are much more important than the material things I possess! I will not let my prosperity go to my head and make me think that I am better than others. God has blessed me so I can be a blessing. Therefore, I see myself as the servant of God, called to manage and distribute the funds at my disposal as He desires!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What is the largest amount of money that God has ever entrusted to you? How was your attitude about yourself and others affected by your possessing such a large amount of resources?
2. Have you ever known someone whose attitude about others changed when money came into their hands? Did they flaunt their wealth and act so differently that it was obnoxious? After seeing how they acted, did their behavior make you inwardly decide how you will or will not act when money comes into your hands?
3. If God has found you faithful and has placed a large amount of financial resources at your disposal, are you regularly asking Him how He wants you to use that money? What is He telling you to do with that money right now?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Work Like a Farmer
The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
— 2 Timothy 2:6


When Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him to bravely face his battles, he first told Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Then Paul changed his illustration and exhorted Timothy to develop the mentality of a professional athlete. But suddenly the athletic talk stops, and Paul begins to instruct the younger minister to start thinking like a farmer! Second Timothy 2:6 says, “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.”

Paul’s abrupt changes in his illustrations must have left Timothy’s mind whirling! Paul had already told him to endure and fight like a soldier, then to prepare and train like an athlete. But now he tells Timothy to work hard like a farmer!

It’s almost as if Paul says, “Timothy, you need to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Or let me give you another example: You need to train and prepare with the same determination and commitment an athlete possesses. Or here’s another illustration to help you understand: You need to be hardworking like a farmer. I KNOW! You need to be all three of these things! You must fight like a soldier, prepare and compete like an athlete, and work like a farmer! You must begin to view yourself as all three — a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer!”

When Paul writes Second Timothy 2:6, he uses words that convey images of farming life. For instance, the word “husbandman” is the Greek word georgos, the word for a farmer who tills the soil. Because Paul uses the word georgos (“husbandman”), there is no doubt that he has the varied activities of a farmer in his mind as he writes to Timothy.

As Paul begins to convey this idea to Timothy, he starts by talking about the hard work of a farmer. He says, “The husbandman that laboureth....” The word “laboureth” is the Greek word kopos, which always denotes the hardest, toughest kind of work. This presents the idea of a person who works to the end of his strength or to the point of physical exhaustion. This farmer is an individual who is giving every ounce of his strength to finish the task before him. Although he is weary, he keeps plodding on step after step, refusing to give up. Rejecting the temptation to throw in the towel, he keeps plowing the ground before him because the task must be done by someone.

The picture this word kopos suggests is of a farmer who labors in the heat of the afternoon sun during the hottest season of the year with sweat pouring down his face. Although the ground is like hard, dry clay and the work is strenuous, the farmer just keeps on plowing and sowing, plowing and sowing. After he finishes plowing one row of his garden, he turns at the end of the row and starts all over again on the next row. By the end of the day, the farmer is physically exhausted, mentally drained, drenched with perspiration, and covered with dirt. He has done a hard day’s work!

By using this illustration, Paul tells us to face the facts: If you’re going to reap a harvest, you have to get out in the field and do the job! If you will do your job faithfully like a hard-working farmer who wants to reap the benefits of a large crop, you will also reap an abundant crop of success and blessing.

Now we get to the rewarding part! The apostle Paul says, “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.” This is God’s personal promise to anyone who puts his hand to the plow and works hard — and it is His special promise to you!

Paul says that if you are faithful to work in His Kingdom, you “...must be first partaker of the fruits.” The words “must be” in Greek is the word dei. It is always used to convey the idea of a necessity, an obligation, a requirement, a demand, or a rule to which there is absolutely no exception and that can never be broken. You could interpret the verse, “The husbandman that laboureth absolutely must be...” or “The husbandman that laboureth is obligated and under command....”

Paul tells what “must be” when he says, “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.” In other words, God wants the committed, determined, hardworking believer to eat from the table of victory and to enjoy the sweet fruit of success before anyone else does!

When we look at the entire text of Second Timothy 2:3-6, we understand that God is telling us:
“If you will fight like a soldier; if you will prepare and compete like an athlete; and if you will put your heart and soul into working in your field the way a hard-working farmer does — here is what I will do for you. I am establishing a permanent rule — one that can never be changed, altered, or modified — and I am making it a top priority and a necessity that when your battle is over and you’ve proven yourself to be a good soldier; when your spiritual opponents are defeated and you’ve won your competition; when you’ve plowed your fields and your crops begin to grow and mature before your eyes — you WILL eat before anyone else eats!”

You see, God wants you to eat and enjoy the fruit of your labors, just as a hard-working farmer does after giving his life to see his crops grow in his field. Your part is to work your land and labor strenuously to see your dream come to pass; then God promises that you will eventually eat the fruit of your hard work! As you focus on doing your job well, you can expect to be blessed, recognized, rewarded, and remunerated for your efforts, for God says that anyone who works hard and sticks with his project to the end deserves to eat the fruit!

Warriors deserve rewards. Good athletes earn recognition. Farmers have every right to eat their crops. And if you are living and fighting by faith to see a certain victory in your life, you can claim God’s promise that a day is coming when you will eat the sweet fruit of victory!

This message must have been very encouraging for Timothy. At that moment, he was so immersed in the conflicts that swirled around him that his mind must have easily become swamped with fears and concerns about what was happening to his congregation. But Paul’s encouraging message to Timothy is the same message God has for you today.

God is telling you, “If you will endure hardship as a good soldier; train and compete like a good athlete; plow your ground and work hard in the field where I have called you, no matter how hard or difficult it is — then I promise you that a day will come when things turn around. And on that day, you will be richly rewarded!”


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I am so blessed to know that You want me to eat the sweet fruit of victory. That knowledge makes me want to work my ground even harder to produce a great harvest for Your Kingdom. I know that in my own flesh, I will never be able to fulfill the dream You’ve given me. But by Your Spirit, I can do all things! So I ask You to fill me with so much strength and motivation that I’ll never stop until I finally reap the harvest of my dreams!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I will never stop until I see the harvest of my dream. It’s going to take hard work and some time, but I am going to keep plowing and cultivating my ground until I see my crops mature. A day is coming in my future when I will pull up to the table, take out my knife and fork, and dive into the sweet victory for which I’ve worked so hard!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What is the dream crop you’ve been working for and waiting to reap in your life?
2. Are there changes you need to make in your work style if you are going to achieve the great, super-abundant dreams God has put in your heart? If so, what are the changes you need to make to become a super- achiever?
3. Can you name five crops you’ve already reaped in life due to your hard work, consistency, and faithfulness?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner

Prepare and Compete Like an Athlete!
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
— 2 Timothy 2:5


After telling Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, Paul then switches to a new illustration so he can make another important point. The purpose of the discussion is still the same: Paul is explaining to Timothy how he should face the difficulties that lie before him at the moment. With that purpose in mind, Paul says, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”

The word “strive” is from the Greek word athlesis, which always described a man involved in a tremendous athletic competition. This kind of athlete was serious about his sport and totally committed to the goal of climbing to the top in his profession. He was willing to undergo any hardship, any training, any regimen, and any kind of discipline in order to reach that goal of becoming the very best in his field of sports. The word athlesis describes this type of committed, full-time, professional, determined athlete. This is the picture Paul now uses when he speaks to Timothy about overcoming the challenges he is facing.

Remember that Paul has already told Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (v. 3). Now by changing his illustration to that of a professional athlete, Paul is asking Timothy (and us) a very potent question: “Are you willing to be as committed to winning your fight as athletes are to winning in their sport? How committed are you? Is a little pressure going to elbow you out of the race, or are you more committed than the inconveniences you are experiencing along the way? How badly do you want to win? ”

We must honestly ask ourselves these questions if we want to determine the true level of our commitment. You see, it is wonderful to serve the Lord and be a part of the local church when we aren’t facing any big problems in life. It’s easy to tithe, give offerings, attend meetings, pray, and sing with other believers when our level of service basically costs us nothing.

However, what are you going to do if things change and it starts to become more challenging to serve the Lord? What if it becomes difficult to hold fast to the vision He put in your heart or to the commitment you made to His call on your life? Will you still serve the Lord with joy? Will you still be faithful to your local church? Will you still give your tithes and offerings?

You see, it is the spiritual fights in life that always reveal the genuine level of our commitment. Look again at what Paul says in Second Timothy 2:5: “And if a man also strive for masteries....” Particularly notice the word “man,” because this is the Greek word tis. This word tis would be better translated anyone. The idea this word presents is anyone at all.

This tells us two very important things. First, anyone can compete in the life of faith. This verse is for tis — for anyone. Second, it tells us that anyone who desires to be a successful competitor had better pay heed to the proper preparation and training required to make him a winner! Notice Paul says that a man will not be crowned “...except he strive lawfully.”

The word “lawfully” doesn’t refer to the rules of the game, but to the training and preparation that professional athletes went through before the game actually commenced. This tells us that we should never attempt to enter the real arenas of life until we have gone through the necessary preparation to win. If we enter an arena without preparation, we better be ready to spend some time recuperating, because we are headed for a beating!

Winners are those who have trained and prepared themselves. Then, as now, athletic “scouts” would go out into the communities to look over all the young athletes. After finding a promising athlete, the scout would issue him an invitation to the training camp. At camp, the athletes were introduced to bodybuilders, trainers, and others who were skilled at fighting and competition. The trainers would put the athletes through incredible routines to build both their bodies and their minds, for mental alertness was deemed to be equally important to physical fitness.

Timothy knew all about the manner in which professional athletes were trained. This was common knowledge during his day. Everyone was familiar with the strict, regimented training that athletes went through in order to compete. Therefore, Paul’s statement on “striving for the masteries” didn’t require a lot of deep contemplation in order for Timothy to know exactly what the apostle was telling him.

Rather than moan and complain about how hard it had become to serve God, it was time for Timothy to change his way of thinking. If he was to be a professional and not an amateur in the Kingdom of God, he needed to see all his challenges as opportunities to use his faith, exercising himself under the most strenuous circumstances and thus developing himself to handle the greater tasks that were still ahead of him.

Although Timothy was facing real hardships in the present, he would still have to face additional hardships in the future. Therefore, rather than let his current circumstances pass without benefiting from them, he needed to view his present challenge as an opportunity to train and prepare for the future. If he could pass this test, he could pass any test!

What test are you facing today, friend? What has this time of hardship revealed about your own level of commitment? Are you as committed as you thought you were, or have you discovered that you are much softer spiritually than you realized? Rather than go forward in life in that soft condition, don’t you think it would be a good idea for you to look at this time in your life as an opportunity to get tougher and to grow stronger in the Lord?

I guarantee you — Satan hates every believer who dares to shine the light of God’s Word into places previously held hostage in darkness. If you decide to be one of those committed believers and to endeavor to do exactly what God has told you to do, Satan will be very alarmed by your obedience. He may try to stop you, throwing obstacles in your path that you never dreamed could happen to you. If you haven’t mentally and spiritually prepared yourself to be strong, these attacks of the enemy may overwhelm you.

Don’t you think it’s time for you to decide whether you are a professional or an amateur in God’s Kingdom? If you are a professional, it’s time for you to change your mental outlook on life and then get busy training and preparing so you can win every one of your future competitions!


MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I want to be strong enough to overcome any situation I’ll ever face in life. Forgive me for sitting around and wasting valuable time that I could have used to train and prepare myself to be spiritually fit. I’m sorry I’ve allowed myself to be lazy at times, and today I am making the decision to throw myself into spiritual preparation. I have decided to strive for the masteries and make my life count! Holy Spirit, please help me become everything Jesus intends for me to be and to make the changes in my mental outlook that are required for me to become a winner in life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!


MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am serious about staying fit spiritually. I refuse to let laziness be a part of my life. I reject any temptation to moan, groan, and complain about how hard life is. I choose instead to see every event in life as an opportunity to flex my spiritual muscles and to become stronger in the Lord!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!


QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What situations are you facing right now that you could use to flex your spiritual muscles and grow stronger in your walk with the Lord?
2. Rather than moan and complain about how hard things have become in your life, is it time for you to change the way you are thinking? If you want to live like a professional and not an amateur in the Kingdom of God, isn’t it time for you to see all your challenges as opportunities to exercise your faith?
3. Rather than let this present circumstance pass without providing you any benefit in life, don’t you agree that you need to view it as an opportunity to train and prepare for the future? Remember, if you can pass this test, you can pass any test!

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner