Category: Strength for Today

Mark 1:26
“And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.”

It was the sabbath day when Jesus entered into the synagogue to teach. While He was teaching, a man with an unclean spirit heard Him speak and cried out, “…Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth…” When the man with an unclean spirit came into the presence of Jesus, those spirits knew they had no power. After Jesus rebuked the spirit it “came out of him.”

I know that these unclean spirits were talking about people being possessed with devils, but does your spirit resemble those who are controlled by an unclean spirit? When you look at what this spirit did to him, you will realize that an unclean spirit damages those they possess. Of course, Christians cannot be possessed by any spirit other than the Holy Spirit; however, no Christian should ever have a spirit that resembles the unclean spirit. You have inside of you the Holy Spirit of God Who should control you and make your spirit more like Christ. Let me show you three things that unclean spirits will do to a person, and how your spirit as a Christian should never resemble these in the least.

First, unclean spirits are destructive. The verse above said that the unclean spirit “had torn” him as it was departing. My question to you is this, do you have a destructive spirit? Is your spirit one that tears people down more than it builds them up? Your spirit should be the type of spirit that when you leave someone, they are better for being in your presence. I have been around people whose spirit is negative and depressing. I have seen people who seem to tear others down more than they build them up for Christ. Don’t allow your spirit to resemble the destructiveness of an unclean spirit. Let the Holy Spirit control you so that you can build others and leave every place you go a better place.

Second, an unclean spirit is uncontrollable. In Mark 5:3, you learn that the man with an unclean spirit could not be controlled by any person, or even with chains. Let me ask you, is your spirit such that you can’t be controlled? There are some who simply don’t control what they say or do. Just because you think something doesn’t mean you should say it. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. When the Holy Spirit of God controls you, you will find that He will help you to control yourself.

Third, an unclean spirit has difficulties with authority. In Matthew 15:22, a mother went to Jesus about her daughter who was “vexed with a devil.” When the devil left this young girl, she was able to get along with her mother. Do you have such a spirit that nobody can tell you what to do? I’ve heard people say, “Nobody is going to tell me what to do.” It doesn’t matter who you are, what stage of life you are in, or what you have accomplished; somebody has to be able to tell you what to do. A person with no authority is a person who is in direct disobedience to God because God ordained authority. Your spirit should be such that you don’t balk when authority tells you what to do, but it yields to those authorities God has placed in your life.

Christian, your spirit should resemble the spirit of Christ, and the only way that will happen is to yield yourself to His Holy Spirit. When your spirit resembles Christ, you will leave every place a better place.

Matthew 21:22
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

One of the greatest needs for every Christian is to get their prayers answered. Oftentimes, many Christians stop praying because they believe their prayers are not being answered when in reality God will answer their prayer if they would just follow His prerequisites to get them answered. Verse 21-22 give several guidelines to getting prayers answered.

First, don’t limit your prayers. The verse above says, “And all things…” Don’t fall into Satan’s trap believing that you should only pray for the “important” things. Let me ask you, what situation in your life is not important? Everything is important, and God wants you to pray to Him for “all things.” Just like a child doesn’t qualify what they ask their parents for, neither should you put a limit on what you are willing to ask God. God is as interested in the “little” prayer as He is in the “big” prayer. God can answer the prayer that we think is trivial as much as He can the prayer of major significance. Many “big” prayers are situations that we tried to work out on our own because we didn’t think to go to God about the circumstance when they were smaller. Don’t limit what you ask God for; ask Him for “all things.”

Second, praying is the best way to get prayers answered. I know this seems obvious, but most people don’t get their prayers answered because they simply are not praying. God has designed prayer as the avenue to get things from Him. You will never get your prayers answered if you don’t pray. The power of prayer will never be realized if the closet of prayer is never visited.

Third, believe that God can answer your prayer. The verse above says, “…whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” You will notice that there must be a belief that God can answer your prayer. Don’t make your prayer lip service, but actually believe that He can answer your prayer. It is the lack of belief in God that He can answer prayer that causes many prayers to go unanswered. The word “believing” insinuates that you are committing it to God. In other words, believing that you will receive your request is simply committing it to God and walking away not thinking that you have to do something to help Him out. Too many times we are trying to help God answer our prayer, and that is a sign that we don’t believe He can answer it. God mostly answers the prayer when we take our hands off and commit the need totally into His control; it is then that He will get total glory for the answer.

Fourth, faith is the measurement to how much God will answer. Verse 21 says, “If ye have faith, and doubt not…ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” Your faith will determine how many of your prayers God will answer. Your faith is the size of the container that you are bringing to God. The smaller the container that you bring to God, the less you will be able to see His power work. Christian, stop bringing your smaller containers to God and grab the largest one you can find and put Him to the test. He says that if your faith is large enough to believe that He can remove a mountain; “it shall be done.”

Getting your prayers answered is as simple as praying. Let me encourage you to enlarge your faith and pray, expecting God to answer. “It shall be done” if you will simply bring it to God believing.

Matthew 13:25
“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”

Several years ago, I worked for a package delivery company. Every night when we came to work, we had to walk past a guard station and show our identification badge to get on the property. Several nights in a row when we came to work, the guard inside the security station was asleep. It became a joke to those with whom I worked how safe we felt with that guard sleeping on his watch. What was a laughing matter to us could have been a dangerous matter had someone who wanted to do something wrong walked past that guard station. The guard was putting others at risk because he was sleeping on his watch.

In the verse above, Jesus told a parable about a man who sowed “good seed” in his field. The verse above says, “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” Something is often missed when we read this parable. Every field had a watchman who was supposed to guard the field from the enemy. Apparently, the watchman was asleep on his watch, and that is why the field had tares. The tares would have never been sown had the watchman been awake.

Children are the field of every parent. Every parent must be careful that they are not asleep on their watch. The Devil is your child’s greatest enemy who you must guard against. If you are asleep on your watch as a parent, he will use influencers to sow tares in your child’s heart. Three thoughts can be learned from this parable about sleeping on your watch.

First, realize there is an enemy out to destroy your children. Parent, you cannot be asleep on your watch because there are people who will destroy your children if you are not parenting as you should. It is your responsibility to be sure your children are insulated from those enemies who would sow tares of wrong deeds and thoughts in their heart.

Second, it doesn’t matter how good the seed is if you are sleeping on your watch. You can teach your children the right thing, but if you are not watching who is influencing your children, you will be surprised one day when you start seeing the tares reveal themselves in their actions. You are going to have to watch their friends, teachers, and any other influence if you don’t want to have the seed of tares sown in their hearts. This means that you are going to have to be an active part of their lives to guard them from tares. You will regret being asleep on your watch when they become adults and the tares reveal themselves in their life.

Third, when you see the blade of tare spring forth in your child’s actions, quickly find where that influence came and remove it. There are going to be times when your children are influenced by an enemy, but don’t let it continue when you see the blade of tare reveal itself in their actions by the rolling of the eyes or a rebellious attitude. Do your job to find who is influencing them, and get that influence out of their life. It is better to remove the influence when it’s a seedling than it is when the tare has taken root in their heart.

Parent don’t be asleep on your watch. The Devil is the enemy who uses influences to sow tares in your child’s heart. Stay awake on your watch and ask the Holy Spirit to help you see those enemies who want to sow the tares in your child’s life so you can keep them from influencing your child.

Matthew 12:25
“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”

The dialogue from the verse above all happened because the Pharisees accused Jesus of having a devil. Why did they accuse Him of this? Because he cast a devil out of a man and they didn’t like that He was getting more recognition than them. They were jealous of his fame, and they thought He would take their power away from them.

Jesus’ response to these leaders was that if He were possessed with a devil, though He cast out a devil, he would be fighting against Himself. He further explained that a “house divided against itself shall not stand.” Jesus was explaining that a kingdom or house that is going to stand must be united in what it is doing.

There are many dynamics in the home that can divide it. Satan will do everything in his power to use those dynamics to divide your home. You must be careful that you protect yourself from those things that will divide your home if you are going make it a place of harmony. Let me show you several things you must guard against to keep your home from being divided.

First, you must guard against opinions and preferences. The home is made up of many opinions and preferences because every person in the home is made differently. You must be careful that you don’t allow your home to become a place of strife because of preferences. You are going to have to learn that at times you are going to have to defer to the other person and allow them to have their way. Don’t let your home be a place that is filled with strife all because of opinions or preferences.

Second, you must guard against different directions. What I mean by this statement is that many homes have become divided because of goals. When a husband and wife both work, they can easily become divided because of their careers. You cannot allow your careers to come between you. It is better to live on less than to have plenty and be divided. My friend, watch that your home is not a place where division sets in because your careers come between you.

Third, you must guard against activities that divide the home. In some homes, people get so wrapped up in outside activities that they never have time to enjoy each other. Be careful that hobbies, clubs or sports leagues don’t divide the home. I know that in today’s society these things seem to be prevalent, but they are not needed to have a happy family. Many families years ago never had all the activities that we have today, and they were happy. Always remember that every activity with which you get involved has the possibility of dividing your home.

Finally, don’t allow your home to be divided spiritually. Be sure that your home is a place where everyone serves the LORD together. There are some homes that everyone is so busy serving the LORD apart that they never see each other. I know it is not always feasible to serve together, but do your best to serve the LORD together as a family.

Life is short, and the home is one of those places that is to be a refuge from the world. Guard against anything that would divide your home. It is better not to do what divides the home than to do it and live in strife and discontent.

Psalm 90:12
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Everybody has the same amount of time each day and every week, yet some tend to get more done with their time than others. There is a simple reason for this, and that is that some maximize the time they have and others don’t. It all comes down to what you do with your time.

The verse above says, “…teach us to number our days…” The reason the psalmist said this is because he mentions in verse 10, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten…” He understood that life is short, and you only have so much time on this Earth to accomplish something worthwhile. If you are going to accomplish something worthwhile, you are going to have to number your days. What does it mean to number your days?

First, numbering your days means you should live by schedule. One of the definitions of the word “number” is “appointed.” In other words, you should have appointed times that you do things. You will never maximize the time you have each day without having a schedule by which you live. A schedule keeps you from wasting time. Those who live without schedule are those who unknowingly waste a lot of time. You will never realize how much time you waste until you start living by a schedule. I would challenge you to try scheduling your day for the next couple of weeks and see how much you accomplish during that time. I am confident that you will find at the end of that time that you will discover you have accomplished more than you have in a long time. You will never maximize your time without a schedule.

Second, numbering your days means to prepare ahead. Another definition of the word “number” is “to prepare.” One of the reasons many people lose time in their day is because they are unprepared. Preparation is a time saver and stress reliever. Preparation will never be done if you don’t learn to live by schedule. A schedule demands that you start preparing ahead. Living by the last minute is simply saying that what you are doing is not important enough to prepare. Is it not interesting that we plan for that which we consider important? Mind telling me, if life is short and you want to maximize your time, why don’t you realize the importance of planning for everything? My friend, life can become much more enjoyable if you will learn to prepare by planning ahead. It simply takes the wisdom to stop and look at what is coming up, and plan for it before it comes. You will discover that you have better ideas and more ways to accomplish things if you learn to plan ahead because you have time to cultivate ideas in your mind.

Third, numbering your days means to live your life in such a manner that you don’t have regrets. Sin will rob you of time that you could have used for something more profitable. Sin is one of the greatest time-wasters and life-robbers. Many people who chose to do something wrong live to regret that time. You will never have to look back in regret if you don’t choose to do something that is regrettable, and sin is always a regrettable act. Don’t waste your time on sin; it will always bring you to the point of regret.

Are you numbering your days? You only have so much time to do something on this Earth; eternity is not that far away. With this in mind, make the most of your time by numbering your days, and you will find the time you spent on this Earth will have been maximized with accomplishments.

Psalm 81:11-12
“But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”

God eventually got fed up with Israel and their constant complaining and straying from how He wanted them to live. They came to a point in their history where they wouldn’t listen to His Word through the mouths of His prophets, so God chose to let them do what they wanted to do. The problem with this is that they lost what they didn’t like. What they didn’t like about God’s ways is what made them who they were and gave them the strength as a nation. They lost what they didn’t like, but they didn’t like what they got. Israel should have been content with what they had because what they didn’t like is what made them happy.

A great lesson can be learned from the verse above. Marriages, children, employees, Christians, church members and citizens often complain about what they don’t like, but if they lost what they didn’t like they wouldn’t like what they got. For instance, a person may not like something about their spouse, but if their spouse changed, they wouldn’t like what they became. Let me give you three thoughts to think about.

First, what you don’t like is what makes you like. You may not realize it, but the thing you don’t like about a person is what makes the person who they are. What you don’t like about your spouse is part of the ingredient that makes them who they are. What you may not like about your church is part of the key ingredients that makes it what it is. In every recipe, there are ingredients you won’t like, but you will change the product if you took out the disliked ingredient.

Second, if you changed what you don’t like, you wouldn’t like what you got. If you were successful in changing that area of your spouse that you don’t like, you wouldn’t like the spouse you got in return. Many people have been successful in changing the part of their spouse they didn’t like, but they didn’t like what they became because it changed who they were. Changing the makeup of a person will change who they are, and who they are is what you like.

Third, don’t change what you don’t like because you may lose what you don’t like. You better be careful about constantly nagging your spouse about changing who they are because you may lose what you don’t like. You may try to change them so much that they just get tired of putting up with the nagging, and you may lose them to another person. What you don’t like about your pastor is exactly what you like about him. If you change what you don’t like about him, you will lose what you like. You better stop trying to make everything and everyone into what you think they should be. You are not God, and you can’t see how what you don’t like is part of the ingredients of what you like.

Let this be a reminder to be content with what you have. Stop trying to change what you don’t like about your spouse because you probably won’t like what you get if you’re successful. Instead of trying to change others, work on yourself and change what you need to change about you. You have enough to change about yourself that you can stay plenty busy for the rest of your life.

Zechariah 1:12
“And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

One of the common statements I heard people say about me when I was a young preacher was, “You will settle down.” Many people said this about my preaching because they didn’t like the forwardness and style of my preaching. They felt that marriage would have a way of causing me to settle down. My desire is never to settle down.

One of the complaints that God had with His people was that they “settled on their lees.” His people had become comfortable with what they attained, and settling eventually led to sin. Their problem was that they lost the drive within to continue conquering, and when they lost the drive to conquer they acquired the taste for the world. There are several reasons you should never settle down.

First, settling down is a direction problem. To settle down is to say that you are no longer climbing to new heights. This goes against God’s desire for the Christian. God’s desire for the Christian is to move forward constantly because He is a forward moving God. When Israel chose to settle on their lees in the wilderness, God punished them by making them wander for forty years without going into the Promised Land. You will never please God when you stop moving forward and settle down. Your direction needs to be a forward direction because a forward direction requires a life of faith. A life without faith is a displeasing life to God.

Second, settling down reveals a heart problem. It says in the verse above, “…the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.” Their action to settle only revealed the thoughts of their heart. If they never settled, they would have never said that the “LORD will not do good.” Something wrong is going on in your heart when you choose to settle down. The choice to no longer keep the drive to go forward is only a revelation that your heart has grown cold towards God.

Third, settling down is a God problem. The statement these men made in their heart about the LORD showed that they had placed their heart somewhere else. Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If your heart is right, your treasure will be placed in the LORD. When your treasure is placed in the LORD, the drive to go forward will never cease.

My friend, have you settled in your Christian life? Have you stopped going forward for the LORD? Have you settled for less than your best? Is it acceptable for you to do things in a second-rate manner? Have you settled for the dregs or lees of life? Are you okay with what is going on in society? Have you accepted that it is just this way?

The only thing that will change this world is Christians who never settle. It is not an age thing; it’s a heart thing. It is not that you are hurt, it is that you have chosen to settle. Don’t be a Christian who settles. God punished Israel for settling, and you will also suffer severe consequences for settling. The only way to keep from settling is to crucify your flesh daily, yield to the Holy Spirit, and continue reaching the lost for Christ. These three things will keep your heart passionate for Christ.

Amos 5:4
“For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:”

Two times in this chapter God tells His people to “seek” something. The first time is found in the verse above when He says, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live:” The second time is in verse 14 when He says, “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live…” The result of seeking in both verses was life. God was giving Israel a chance to turn things around. They were facing God’s judgment, and He told them that if they would seek Him and good, they could turn things around and live.

You often hear people talk about turning a new page in life. They say this because they know they need to change what is happening in their life. Many Christians who went the way of the world decided to turn a new page because they discovered the world didn’t give them what they thought it would. These Christians who want to turn the page realize that they lost the joy and life they once had, and now they want to turn the page and start all over. This is good! There is nothing wrong with turning the page and starting over; but, how do you turn the page?

First, you turn the page by seeking the LORD. The verse above says, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live…” I’m afraid there are many Christians who are faithful to church and are religious, but they are not seeking the LORD. Just because you are religious doesn’t mean that you are seeking the LORD. Doing your daily “penance” by reading three chapters in the Bible isn’t seeking the LORD. Performing your weekly “penance” by going to church on Sunday and Wednesday doesn’t comprise seeking the LORD. Yes, you are to do these things, but are you doing them to feel good about yourself, or are you doing them to truly seek the LORD’s mind? Seeking the LORD is accomplished by being consumed with trying to please God with every action and thought that you do and think; this will be life-changing. When you seek the LORD, you are obsessed with doing what He wants you to do; you will be consumed with a heart that yearns to make Him happy with your life. You will find the life will turn a new page and has a new meaning when you truly seek the LORD.

Second, you turn the page by seeking good. Verse 14 says, “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live…” Again, life comes when you are as consumed with doing the right thing with everything you do. When you have a heart to seek the LORD, that will result in having the desire to do good all the time. When you seek good, you are not flippant about doing things, but you will search out what is the right thing to do. Seeking good is like the young man trying to find the right ring for the young lady he wants to marry; he seeks the right ring in hopes to make her happy. My friend, you should seek to do the right thing in life so diligently that there is no mistake that it is right. Never embrace the mentality that you don’t care because you can always ask forgiveness. Seeking good never allows the thought that wrong is acceptable because you an always ask forgiveness. Seeking good wants to do right all the time. You will never turn a page in life until your heart has the desire to do the right thing.

Christian, get consumed with turning the new page in life. When you choose to turn the page by seeking God and good, you will find a new life has new meaning and joy that you have never experienced before.